Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation – Education Department) Compilation: Simantini Dhuru I
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Fact Sheet for Mumbai Shikshan Companikaran Virodhi Abhiyan (BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation – Education Department) Compilation: Simantini Dhuru I. Overview Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is the richest municipal corporation in India. It is guided by a variety of legal instruments such as the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai Act, 1888, the Bombay Primary Education Act, 1920 and now the Children’s Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (RtE 09). The BMC provides free education to nearly 4, 00,000 children enrolled in around 1174 schools (Source: RTI sought by us dated 30.9.2011). It is the only local self government body which offers instruction in 8 languages. (Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, Tamil, Telegu, English) While majority of schools cater to classes between Ist to VIIth the break up is roughly as follows. (Source: RTI sought by us dated 30.9.2011) - Ist to IVth: 148 (Approx. As exact break-up is not given in the RTI reply) - Ist to VIIth: 905 (Based on our field data since we work directly with these schools) - Ist to Xth: 48 (Source: RTI) - Schools for Mentally Challenged: 18 (MR schools) (Source: RTI) - Jr. K.G. to Xth: 55 (Mumbai Public Schools or MPS which claim to offer instruction in English medium. The teachers in these schools though trained as per NCTE norms are paid a consolidated salary and are temporary.) (Source: RTI) While the expenditure of the BMC schools on education has increased sharply in recent years, the increase is mostly being spent on paying salaries and pensions of employees. (Source: IndiaSpend’s Prachi Salve based on RTIs.) The number of students attending regional language schools is declining while the number of students attending English schools is increasing. The number of teachers has been falling for regional schools but is increasing in English schools. And the numbers of students and teachers have been increasing in schools for the mentally challenged. (Source: IndiaSpend. Prachi Salve based on RTIs.) II. Financial Overview: Providing Free Education Most of the education department’s income comes from grants from the state and central governments and the education cess collected by the corporation. According to budget estimates of this year, capital receipts for the education budget wereRs547 crore, which was 235% higher compared to last year’s Rs163 crore. (Source: IndiaSpend. Prachi Salve) Page 1 of 22 The BMC spends around 8- 9% of income on education, and it plans to spend nearly Rs. 2,342 crore this year. Table 1 shows the increase in expenditure on education from 2008-09 to 2012–13. Table 1: Increasing Focus On Education Type of 2008 – 09 2009 – 10 2010 – 11 2011 – 12 2012 – 13 expenditure (R.E) (B.E) Capital 63.21 74.48 41.76 179.87 367.01 expenditure Revenue 851.19 1,036.03 1,016.45 1,237.47 1,975.62 Expenditure Total 914.40 1,110.51 1,058.21 1,417.34 2,342.63 expenditure (Figures in Rs crore; Source: BMC Budget 2012) It’s clear from Table 1 that there has seen an increase of nearly 65% from Rs 1,417 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 2,342 crore in 2012-13. The per student expense has increased 36% from Rs 27,056 in 2010-11 to Rs 36,750 in 2011-12. Much of the increase in spending on education can be explained by the constant growth of the revenue expenditure. Revenue expenditure includes establishment expenses (salaries and pensions of employees), operation and maintenance (O&M) of schools and debt servicing on loans raised by the corporation. Even though the revenue expenditure has declined from 96% in 2010–11 to 84% in 2012 -13, it still remains significantly high. The majority of revenue expenditure is spent on salaries and pensions of employees. According to the 2012-13 budget for the education department (Budget E), nearly55% of revenue expenditure is being spent on salaries and pensions while only a mere 9% is spent on O&M. Actual Numbers: Page 2 of 22 In a Right to Information (RTI) petition filed by IndiaSpend regarding the number of students and teachers in BMC schools, the following information was provided. (We also asked for information regarding the money spent on salaries but no reply was provided). While Table 2.1 shows the number students in different language schools from 2007-08 to 2011-12, Table 2.2 shows the number of teachers during the same period: Table 2.1: Dwindling Numbers in Language Schools: Number of 2007 – 08 2008 – 09 2009 – 10 2010 – 11 2011 – 12 students (percentages) Marathi 129,262 119,588 107,413 102,214 92,335 (24%) Hindi 120,280 119,353 113,726 116,819 119,157 (30%) Gujarati 11,336 9,847 8,908 8,715 7,870 (2%) Urdu 106,169 105,117 102,778 102,082 101,430 (26%) Tamil 12,476 11,129 10,032 9,233 8,226 (2.1%) Telugu 5,415 4,334 3,469 3,359 3,036 (0.7%) Kanada 5,070 4,566 4,257 3,829 3,631 (1%) English 21,899 23,170 26,637 29,808 31,581 (8.1) Schools for 763 849 889 894 847 (0.2%) the mentally Challenged Page 3 of 22 Mumbai 7,770 9,530 10,867 14,158 17,544 (4.5%) Public school* Total 420,440 407,483 388,976 391,111 385,657 number of (100%) students Table 2.2: English Schools In Focus Number of 2007 – 08 2008 – 09 2009 – 10 2010 – 11 2011 – 12 teachers (percentages) Marathi 4,803 5,358 4,814 4,261 4,043 (35%) Hindi 2,741 2,687 3,296 3,068 2,946 (25%) Gujarati 528 540 491 490 376 (3.2%) Urdu 2,176 2,295 2,848 2,668 2,660 (23%) Tamil 385 403 346 361 326 (2.8%) Telugu 161 198 158 148 121 (1%) Kanada 141 147 171 153 136(1.1%) English 298 253 599 534 611 (5.3%) Schools for 56 59 73 70 77 (0.6%) the Page 4 of 22 mentally Challenged Mumbai 36 107 129 96 191 (1.6%) public school * Total 11,325 12,047 12,925 11,849 11,487 number of teachers (Data refers to students/teacher as per medium of instruction. English schools teach Maths/Science in English and everything else in Marathi.*Mumbai public schools refer to schools where the language of teaching is English). (Source: IndiaSpend’s Prachi Salve) The number of students attending municipal schools fell from 420,440 in 2007-08 to 385,657 in 2011-12. Table 2.1 shows that the number of students has declined for all regional schools but has increased in English language schools even though the percentage of English schools remains low. The highest number of students in BMC schools is in Urdu-medium schools (101,430 students) and the highest reduction ( 36,927) was seen in students attending Marathi schools from 129,262 to 92,335 students between 2007 and 2012. It is clear from Table 2.2 that the number of teachers has been fluctuating. The number increased between 2007-08 and 2009-10 from 11,325 to 12,925 with an increase of 1,600 teachers but it fell to 11,487 in 2011-12 with a drop of 1,438 teachers. Let us now look at teachers in language schools: teachers in Marathi schools fell from 4,803 in 2007-08 to 4,043 in 2011-12 (a reduction of 760 teachers). The number of teachers increased from 298 to 611 in English schools. Interestingly, the number of teachers also increased in Urdu and Hindi schools by 313 and 205, respectively, between 2007 and 2012. (Note: 1. Avehi-Abacus Project’s close association with schools catering to Vth to VIIth classes it can be said that all though the textbooks and other material is provided in English the classroom transaction in almost all so called English medium schools in conducted mainly in Hindi and in Marathi, Gujarati or Urdu depending on the language of the majority students and the class teacher. 2. Regarding decline of Marathi medium schools: It needs to be understood that Mumbai has a large number of fully aided, partially aided aprox. 433 by BMC and 814 aided by Deputy Director, Department of education and Sports, Government of Maharashtra. and un-aided Marathi medium schools from Jr. K.G. to Xth which charge fees between Rs.200-300 per month. The economic profile of Marathi speaking community is marginally better and in absence Page 5 of 22 of schools catering to class Xth as well as due to absence of adequate teachers in BMC schools they have a ‘choice’ for cheaper education albeit at a cost. In a way despite poverty the parents opt to make this ‘investment’ towards paid schooling due to lack of BMC Secondary Schools. On the other hand economic conditions of those of Urdu, Hindi speakers who are relatively recent migrants – many of them Muslims; are extraordinarily vulnerable. As pointed out by the Justice Sacchar Committee poverty of Muslims is highest in urban areas. Added to this the is fact that the number of aided; low fee charging ‘recognised schools’ in Urdu and Hindi are very few in Bombay and thus the ‘choice’ made by the Marathi speaking parents is not open to these communities. 3. One important factor which is not discussed in the budget analysis above is that the BMC distributes 27 items free of cost including packaged milk to each student and excluding Mid-Day Meal provided by the Central Government.