While the allocation for education has been steadily increasing, little is being done to improve the quality of education, say education activists and other stakeholders. For example, when the BMC unveiled an annual education budget of Rs 3,497.82 crore for the last financial year, though education funding had been increased by approximately Rs 150 crore compared to the previous year’s budget estimate, most initiatives and schemes remained unchanged from the previous year, with only minor modifications and upgrades for 2024-25.
Parents and educationists argue that instead of introducing new curricula and projects, the BMC should focus on strengthening existing schools by hiring better teachers, enhancing the quality of education, and addressing fundamental needs such as laboratories, sports equipment, and other essential infrastructure.
Vijay Verma, parent of girl who studies at BMC’s IB school
Vijay Verma, whose daughter studies at the BMC’s only International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Vile Parle, highlighted the shortcomings. “The school lacks CCTV cameras. As a member of the school’s management committee, I have managed to bring about some improvements, but only around 15-20 per cent. Just last week, astronomy lab equipment arrived, despite the civic body having announced astronomy labs two or three years ago. Even though they have introduced an IB school, it operates more like a standard civic school rather than an institution that upholds IB standards.” The idea behind starting an IB school was to offer students from economically weaker sections access to international-level education, but the necessary standards are not being maintained.
“The BMC needs to invest in hiring qualified teachers or adequately training the existing ones, many of whom have lost focus and motivation. Allocating funds is one thing, but there is little accountability regarding the execution of projects for which these funds are allocated. There is a pervasive lack of accountability within the BMC and its departments, including the education department,” he added.
An educationist, speaking anonymously, pointed out that the BMC is more focused on processes rather than outcomes. “Teachers in CBSE schools are being appointed on a contractual basis with meagre salaries,” the educationist said. “Budgets are allocated for tablets, dictionaries and digitalisation, but there is no assessment of the impact of these resources. The first batch of students from two municipal public schools will appear for their CBSE board exams this year, and that will be the true test of this BMC initiative.”
Major announcements
In the 2024-25 budget, the civic body announced the ongoing construction of 54 astronomy laboratories and 35 sports centres, with 20 centres currently under development. Yet, many schools are still waiting for astronomy lab equipment. To enhance student safety, the installation of CCTV cameras in civic schools is underway, with a budget provision of Rs 8 crore. In many schools, the tendering process is either ongoing or pending. As the BMC unveils the education budget for 2025-26 today, all eyes will not only be on the allocation but also on whether there will be concrete measures to ensure better teachers, improved education quality and greater accountability in implementation.
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