Civic body ‘favouring’ CBSE schools: Activist

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The civic body has drawn flak from education activist for allegedly shifting some of the teachers meant for municipal-run Marathi and Urdu medium schools to the five civic-run CBSE schools in the past two academic years.In a written complaint to the civic authorities, education activist Mohsin Ahmed said the move was hampering the functioning of the Marathi and Urdu medium schools run by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC).“While the civic-run Urdu and Marathi medium schools were already facing a staff shortage, the transfer of teachers to CBSE schools has further aggravated their problems,” Ahmed said.Non-governmental organization Jan Jagran Samiti, which is led by Ahmed, has also objected to the use of same school buildings for running CBSE and Marathi/ Urdu medium schools. “This is simply illegal,” the NGO said.“There is no problem with the civic body running CBSE schools. However, these schools should not be allowed to run at the expense of existing schools. The civic body can happily continue its CBSE schools, but in separate buildings and by appointing separate teaching staff,” the NGO said.The civic administration has 70 schools under it with a combined strength of around 18,000 students. The CBSE schools, which were started on an experiment basis, are gradually eating into the existing Marathi and Urdu schools, the activists alleged.When contacted, education officer of CSMC Sunil Dongare said the demand for separate buildings and staff for CBSE schools would be conveyed to the civic administration. “Every CBSE school has an intake of just 25 students. We are taking care of the educational needs of students in Marathi, Urdu and CBSE schools,” he said.A senior civic official said the activists were raising the issue for no reason. “The way private schools have the option of state board or CBSE, we are also offering the same choice to the students and the schools. How does that show our preference to one over the other,” he said, preferring anonymity.