Teachers Oppose BMC Handing Powai and Chembur School Management to NGOs
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently handed over the academic management of the Tunga Village School in Powai and the New Mahul Village School Complex in Chembur to non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The decision has triggered strong opposition from teachers' unions, who sent a formal letter of protest to the civic body on Wednesday, claiming the move sidelines regular teachers and weakens the public education system.
The Municipal Samarth Workers Union, which represents municipal teachers, expressed deep concern over the civic administration's growing reliance on external organisations. The union argued that instead of strengthening government schools and supporting existing staff, the administration is creating uncertainty among its workforce by handing over academic control.
Rushikesh Ghosalkar, the general secretary of the Municipal Samarth Workers Union, stated that the civic administration is increasingly relying on NGOs despite having trained and qualified teachers already working within the municipal education system. Ghosalkar urged the BMC to focus on improving facilities, reducing vacancies, and providing better resources for teachers rather than outsourcing school management.
Other teachers' groups shared similar concerns but chose not to oppose the policy openly due to fears of reprisal from state authorities. Several anonymous teachers voiced worries that the expanding role of NGOs would gradually diminish the role of government-appointed educators. They also questioned whether the teachers hired by NGOs met the mandatory qualification of clearing the Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET).
In response to the criticism, BMC officials defended the policy, stating that it aligns with the National Curriculum Framework of 2005 and has been implemented for a decade. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Education) Prachi Jambhekar emphasized that the primary goal of the policy is to improve student learning outcomes.
Jambhekar noted that the administration closely monitors school performance and has observed improvements in academic levels in some NGO-managed schools. Regarding qualifications, she confirmed that the BMC has instructed all participating NGOs to ensure their appointed teachers meet the required government criteria.
