Limited options for learning Urdu in 100 schools of Delhi
26 Sep, 2014Reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that nearly 15000 Muslim students, amongst others, spread across 100 government schools in New Delhi had no provision to opt for learning Urdu due to lack of facilities.
A Delhi-based NGO, Nawa-e-Haque Welfare Association, which had filed the RTI application, alleged that and these students of class 6 to 10, had to opt for Sanskrit as third language subject. On the basis of date procured through RTI, the matter was taken up with the Linguistic Minorities Commission alleging that the students from the minority community are forced to opt for Sanskrit as third language subject. The Linguistic Minorities Commission has issued a notice to the education department to initiate an inquiry into the matter and take necessary action in the matter.
The Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and other laws like the Delhi Minorities Commission Act, 1999 grant the option of opting for one’s mother tongue as third language from Classes 6 to 10 and it has been alleged that as a majority of schools don’t have Urdu teachers, the students are deprived of learning their mother tongue. A delegation of minority rights activists met the Delhi Minorities Commission chief and requested to for re-activation of the minority cell of the directorate of education to look after the minority affairs of the education department.