Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has failed to run its 142 study rooms in the city properly due to unavailability of DEd and BEd graduates. This despite the fact that there are a number of DEd and BEd passouts every year in the city. Out of the 142 study rooms, 33 study rooms have been closed down, as per the PMC’s Social Development Department.
The information was revealed in the General Body meeting. Shiv Sena corporator Pallavi Javale from Somwar Peth asked a question about study rooms in the city. While giving a written reply to Javale’s question, the Social Development Department said, “There are 33 study rooms that are closed down. The reason is that there is no availability of DEd and BEd graduates to run study rooms.”
Mukunda Mahajan, Deputy Social Development Officer of PMC said, “The corporation runs study rooms in slum areas in the city. Most of the study rooms are conducted in community halls of the corporation. The corporation deputes DEd and BEd graduates to run study rooms for classes 5th to 10th students. We pay these graduates Rs 3,000 as remuneration for their services. In some areas, we don’t find graduates to run study rooms and so we closed down 33 such study rooms in the city. The corporation has given advertisements for appointment of DEd and BEd graduates on contract basis. Now, we are working on a new model of how to run the closed down study rooms.”
Dr Siddharth Dhende, Deputy Mayor of Pune, said, “The corporation is giving less remuneration to DEd and BEd graduates. It is less than daily wages rates decided by government. If corporation increases it, it will help to run more study rooms in the city. The purpose of study rooms is to teach students and provide them good ambiance for study, which they don’t get in slum areas. But, due to the corporation’s non-practical approach, it is dying.”
