Sukhada Tatke, TNN, Nov 17, 2010,
MUMBAI: The BMC may well have forged a partnership with Unicef to come up with the School Excellence Programme but a look at its record in taking care of its own schools tells us how neglected the civic schools have been all this while. For instance, the civic body has allowed the number of beat officers or inspectors, who overlook the functioning of schools, to dwindle over the years and as many as 25% of them have not yet been hired.
Beat officers or inspectors are hired to keep a check on teachers and principals of municipal schools. They conduct an inspection of teachers and class work. One of their key functions is to pay surprise visits to the schools, as well as pay educational visits where they are supposed to give guidance to teachers.
But a recent RTI query has revealed that 34 posts of inspectors lay vacant in the academic year of 2008-09. Of the 132 required posts, only 98 were filled. The details show that the record was no better in the previous years. According to the data procured from the BMC's education department, from 2004, there have always been posts lying vacant. In 2004-05 and 2005-06, there were 88 approved posts for beat officers, of which 63 were filled and 25 were vacant. The next year, the number of vacant posts increased to 32. In 2007-08, of the 132 approved posts, 104 posts were filled.
"Beat officers play crucial role, especially in BMC schools, which have been neglected. On paper, their duties and powers are really good and it looks like their presence will help better the quality of education provided to students. However, the civic body has not bothered to fill up the vacant posts, which just shows the level of interest there is for schools," said Kurla-based activist Anil Galgali, who filed the RTI application.
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