Teachers protest as BMC hands Powai Tunga Village School management to NGOs
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) recent decision to hand 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) has triggered strong opposition and unrest among municipal teachers' unions. On Wednesday, the Municipal Samarth Workers Union sent a formal protest letter to the BMC, warning that the move sidelines regular staff and weakens the public education system.
The union expressed concern that the decision creates uncertainty among dedicated municipal teachers who have spent their careers educating children from underprivileged backgrounds. 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 system.
"If there are shortcomings in the education system, the focus should be on improving facilities, reducing vacancies, providing better training and ensuring adequate resources for teachers," Ghosalkar said. He added that handing over schools to outside organisations is not a long-term solution to the challenges faced by municipal education.
Other teachers' groups also voiced concerns but chose not to oppose the policy openly due to fears of reprisal from state authorities. Several anonymous teachers expressed worry that the growing involvement of NGOs would gradually diminish the role of government-appointed teachers. They also questioned whether the teachers appointed by NGOs are qualified and have cleared the mandatory Teachers' Eligibility Test (TET).
BMC officials defended the policy, stating that it is based on the National Curriculum Framework, 2005, and has been in place for a decade. Prachi Jambhekar, the deputy municipal commissioner for education, explained that the primary objective is to improve learning outcomes for students.
"Our focus is on students. In some schools managed by NGOs, we have seen improvement in learning levels and academic performance," Jambhekar said. Addressing concerns over qualifications, she confirmed that the BMC has instructed all NGOs to ensure their appointed teachers meet government criteria.
