24 ‘high-performers’ set to show the way to 1,500 MCD schools in Delhi

With an aim to boost public confidence in the education system run by the civic administration in the Capital, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Saturday said that 24 schools have been marked as ‘Nigam Shri Schools of Excellence’.

The Capital has over 1,500 MCD schools. Speaking with The Indian Express, Yogesh Verma, Chairperson, Education Committee, MCD, said that two "high-performing" schools from each of the 12 MCD zones were picked as model schools along the lines of PM-SHRI and CM-SHRI school initiatives.

“After months of assessment and screening, two schools from each zone have been carefully selected for this initiative. These schools will serve as model institutions and set an example for the rest of the schools. This is just the beginning.

More schools will be selected gradually,” he said. During the event, the MCD also announced two other initiatives. ‘Pratibhagita’, one of the two initiatives, is aimed at strengthening parental engagement and foundational learning; and the MCD Football Mini League, the other, seeks to create a structured grassroots sports ecosystem for students.

According to the MCD’s Education department, Pratibhagita is being introduced in collaboration with Rocket Learning, a nonprofit, to strengthen school-parent communication and enable parents to support their children’s learning at home.

Under the initiative, parents of pre-primary students will receive play-based foundational learning activities and audio-visual content, and parents of primary school students will receive information on students, MCD initiatives and school announcements.

Verma said, “Parents are not in the loop as far as their child’s day-to-day activities in schools are concerned. Now, parent participation will be strengthened. WhatsApp groups will be created and daily updates will be given about their child’s activities including their attendance and participation in school’s curriculum.” The three initiatives were announced alongside the felicitation of 87 teachers during the Teachers’ Day ceremony, recognising their contribution to education in MCD schools.