High Court Seeks Delhi Govt's Response On PIL Alleging State-Run Schools Not Functioning Full Time

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the Delhi Government on a PIL seeking full time education to students in schools being run by the Delhi Government in city's North East district, alleging that the children are either imparted only 2 hours of daily education or are being taught on alternate days.

A division bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice on the moved by Social Jurist, a Civil Rights Group, claiming that the said teaching pattern adopted in the government schools in question is affecting education of more than 1 lakh students.

The Court granted three weeks' time to the Delhi Government to file response in the matter, while posting it for hearing on December 7.

The schools in question as highlighted in the plea are SKV Khajuri, SBV Khajuri, GGSSS Sonia Vihar, GBSSS Sonia Vihar, GGSSS Khajuri, GBSSS Karawal Nagar and GGSSS Sabhapur and other schools at Karawal Nagar.

"That the inaction on the part of respondent Government violates fundamental right to education of students as guaranteed under Articles 14, 21 and 21-A of the Constitution of India read with provisions of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009," the plea reads.

The petitioner organization claims that while it had written two letters requesting to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to take immediate remedial steps to safeguard education and future of lakhs of students studying in the said schools, no response has been received so far.

"This is really an alarming situation where our marginalized students are not getting full attention from Delhi Government in matter of their education," the plea reads.

The petition further adds that it is the duty of schools being run by Delhi Government to impart education to students in terms of the scheduled norms and standards set out in Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

The plea thus states that as per the said Act, minimum number of working days in the schools must be.200 and minimum 800 instructional hours for classes I to V, clubbed with 220 working days and 1000 instructional hours for classes VI to VIII in an academic year.

Case Title: Social Jurist, A Civil Rights Group v. Government of NCT of Delhi