Twenty-two of the 65 Urdu medium schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi have vacancies for over 300 Urdu language and subject teachers. The situation is similar in Delhi Government’s senior secondary schools where the last permanent appointment of Urdu teachers took place in 1995.
Federation for Educational Development, a group of NGOs looking into minority educational development, has recently sent a letter to the chairman of Minorities’ Commission, demanding that the vacant teaching posts should be filled quickly. “On Oct 26, 2011, an advertisement regarding teaching posts vacant in MCD schools came out, but there was no information regarding vacancies for Urdu teachers, despite there being 200 vacancies for Urdu teachers,” said Zainul Abedin, President of the Federation. He recalled the closing down of the commerce faculty in a Delhi Government school near Jama Masjid when a Commerce Urdu teacher retired. The dropout rate is high in the Muslim community because of lack of Urdu teachers, said Abedin. ”There is 83 per cent dropout rate in this community, including 17 per cent in class 12.” Some community members feel there is no ‘structure’ when it comes to hiring Urdu teachers. Demand for Urdu teachers is not being reflected properly. “Even if there are appointments, often an Urdu teacher doesn’t know the language,” said Abedin.