55 MCD primary schools lack special educators: LoP Narang

Ankush Narang, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), on Saturday criticised the BJP government in the MCD for what he described was mismanagement and neglect in the education of children with special needs.

Addressing a press conference, Narang claimed that while 55 primary schools have no special teacher, some schools have been allocated two special educators despite having less than five or even no children with special needs.

“The BJP has a so-called ‘four-engine government’ in Delhi, yet corruption in the MCD keeps increasing,” said Narang. “There are 1,514 primary schools under the MCD, and each should have a special teacher. But only 1,460 teachers are present today, leaving 55 schools completely uncovered. Shockingly, in some schools having only 5-10 children with special needs, two teachers have been posted against the rules.”

He listed schools across Delhi where such discrepancies exist, including Mayapuri Press Colony and Basai Darapur in West Zone, Rohini Sector 22 and Bawana in Narela Zone, Jai Rani Bagh and Kishanganj New Basti in City-SP Zone.

Narang further alleged that in zones such as Narela, Shahdara South and West, several schools with less than five or even no children with special needs still have special teachers posted, drawing salaries of Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000.

Highlighting the decline in enrollment, Narang said, “When the AAP was in MCD, around 10,000 children with special needs were enrolled, but under the BJP’s rule, this number has dropped to 7,500. Meanwhile, many special teachers are being used for clerical work rather than teaching.”

He cited examples of special educators being shifted across zones, including Shalimar constituency, Jahangirpuri, Mehrauli, Mayapuri and Basai Darapur.

Raising questions for the BJP, Narang asked why rules were violated, why teachers are posted in schools without children with special needs and why special educators are not being deployed in schools that need them. He also criticised the creation of seniority lists for teachers, claiming the Education Department lacks records of certifications required by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

Responding to the allegations, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor called Narang a “statement warrior” and accused the AAP of paralysing the functioning of the MCD over the past decade.

Kapoor said the BJP was committed to ensuring that all schools have special educators, and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, along with Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma, will take necessary steps to meet this requirement.

Kapoor further stated that the AAP government, during its tenure from December 2022 to April 2025, failed to complete appointments of special educators, leaving Narang’s criticisms “politically motivated.”