The division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted the Delhi government three weeks to file a reply and listed the matter for hearing on December 7. The Delhi High Court Thursday sought a response from the Delhi government on a petition alleging that classes are being held only for two hours a day or on alternate days in certain government-run schools in the national Capital’s North East district.
The division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad granted the Delhi government three weeks to file a reply and listed the matter for hearing on December 7.
Social Jurist, a non-government organisation working for childrens’ right to education, said in the public interest litigation (PIL) that schools at Khajuri, Sabhapur, Tukmirpur, Sonia Vihar and Karawal Nagar are following a system under which classes are either held only for two hours a day or students are taught on alternate days. It is affecting the studies of more than 1 lakh students and violates their fundamental right to education, the petition argued.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal, representing the petitioner, termed the situation “alarming” before the court and said it has been prevalent since April 2022. “I have written to them (government) repeatedly but no response, no action; that is why I am before your lordships. Students have themselves written,” submitted Agarwal.
Delhi government’s standing counsel (civil) Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted that the court is conscious about the lack of infrastructure in the localities and attributed the problem to the unavailability of land. Tripathi also said that admission of students in the schools has increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The petition said Agarwal personally met students on September 5 and found that SKV Khajuri and SBV Khajuri impart only two hours of education to students and students of GGSSS Khajuri, GBSSS Khajuri, GGSSS Sabhapur and GBSSS Sabhapur are called to school only on alternate days.
“It was also informed to him that apart from above mentioned schools, there are many others schools at Tukmirpur, Sonia Vihar, Karawal Nagar, etc, who are following the same pattern of teaching mechanism i.e. either imparting only two hours of daily education or teaching on alternate days. It is further submitted that on an average 5,000-6,000 students are enrolled in each of the schools, thus nearly 1 lakh students enrolled in these schools are facing more or less the same situation,” reads the petition.