Tutors from private NGOs to teach BMC school students

Mumbai: With a view to improving the condition of its schools and increasing the number of students, the BMC earlier this month proposed that voluntary organisations and NGOs be brought on board to teach civic students. The proposal has come to the civic body’s rescue after it decided to shut its 35 Marathi medium schools in the city owing to lack of students and poor infrastructure.

The BMC has invited several private organisations to provide teachers for its schools. While the schools will still be run by the BMC, right from expenses to administration, and the school management too will be that of the BMC, NGOs appointed by the civic body will provide teachers for these schools along with paying their salaries. Bringing teachers from outside has a lot to do with the English language. An official said that teachers in civic schools could not speak fluent English. “Whereas teachers from these private NGOs have proper command over English which will only benefit our children in learning the language,” he said.

Initially, the project of roping in private NGOs was seen as part of public-private partnership (PPP). However, a senior official argued, “If the school is ours, the money the school’s non-teaching staff gets is ours, the principal and the management is ours, how is it PPP system. The ultimate aim behind this project is to bring teachers from outside as we lack teachers and also to give good quality education and knowledge of English to students through these private NGO teachers.”