MCD directs every teacher to enrol 3 out-of-school children; teachers' body flags staff shortage

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has directed every teacher in its schools to enrol at least three out-of-school children by November 15 as part of a survey and admission drive, drawing criticism from a teachers' organisation over the timing of the exercise and an existing staff shortage. In a circular issued on Wedndesday, the MCD's Education Department directed all school heads to ensure compliance with the target. Zonal deputy directors and assistant directors of education were also instructed to strictly implement earlier directions regarding the survey of out-of-school children.

The circular, issued by the civic body's Director of Education, said enrolment records would be maintained school-wise and teacher-wise from November 1 to 22. The performance of the principals and teachers concerned would also be considered while assessing their annual performance reports for 2026-27. A review meeting to assess enrolment progress has been scheduled for November 23 at the office of the Director of Education.

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Officials have been asked to maintain updated records for scrutiny during the meeting, according to the order. Kuldeep Singh Khatri, founder of the Shikshak Nyay Manch Nagar Nigam, criticised the directive, questioning the need to conduct an admission drive midway through the academic session when teachers were already handling several other assignments. He said the civic body was facing a shortage of teachers and claimed that no recruitment drive for primary teachers had been announced since 2019.

"MCD teachers are also being assigned duties related to booth-level officer (BLO) work, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Census, mentoring, information technology and sporting events, including football leagues," Khatri said. Describing the target of enrolling three children per teacher as impractical in the middle of the academic session, he said the exercise would have been more useful if conducted at the beginning of the school year or during the winter vacation. The MCD circular requires teachers to meet the enrolment target by November 15, maintain records until November 22 and attend to the progress review scheduled for the following day.