Testing time ahead for school children

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI, JUNE 27. It will be testing time again for children and parents when schools in Delhi reopen after the long summer break this coming Monday. The twin spectre of acute shortage of buses and a sharp increase in bus fees is already giving many Delhiites sleepless nights.

With the colossal confusion caused last April still fresh in their minds, most parents do not know how their children will reach school. And with no firm assurance from the school authorities, many are worried that their children would lose out on attendance. To add to their woes, a majority will have to cough up as much as 50 per cent more as bus fees.

``There is going to be an acute shortage of buses when the schools reopen,'' rues Mr. K. L. Luthra, General Secretary of the Federation of Public Schools.

``It will snowball into a major crisis after September 30,'' says Mr. D.R. Gupta, President of the Joint Action Committee of Unaided Public schools.

Lakhs of primary and middle school students who use city buses daily will also have to bear the brunt. Apart from 800-odd school buses which will ply under the Supreme Court direction, DTC this time is unlikely to ply additional buses on various school routes.

According to one estimate, nearly 10 lakh children study in Delhi's private schools. About 50 per cent of them avail of school bus services. The remaining 5 lakh private school children along with another 10 lakh who go to various government schools rely largely on public buses.

Another cause for worry are unlicensed privately-run CNG buses with inexperienced drivers. Also, there are about 700 CNG buses out on the roads which do not honour student bus passes. ``The situation is deteriorating with each passing day. We are not sure if the buses will come,'' says Ms. Sangeeta Kumari, whose son studies in Don Bosco School at Alaknanda.

``When schools themselves are struggling to find a solution, how can they give assurances? Though diesel buses are available till September 30, there is a shortage of nearly 30 per cent,'' says Mr. Luthra. And even if schools manage to get private buses, either CNG or diesel, the operators will exploit the situation.''

Citing an example, Mr. Luthra says DTC has already raised its charges by 50 per cent. As for private operators, they are demanding Rs.30,000 to 40,000 per month per route as against Rs.10,000 to 20,000 earlier. Even the better off schools who have bought a few costly CNG buses are sure to pass on the burden to the parents.

``We expected the bus fees to come down after the introduction of CNG. But it has only gone up,'' rues Mr. Mukesh Jain, General Secretary of Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh, the federation of school children's parents.

Complaining that it is the parents who are worst hit, Mr. Jain says: ``Parents have to take pains to ensure that at least for the next two months there is no drop in attendance even if it means their reaching offices late.''

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