Activists of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch (UMM) and many social organisations have joined hands against alleged loot of private school operators. The activists organised a dharna at Gandhi Park on Wednesday. The agitators demanded that the State Government should take concrete steps to rein in the private schools and at the same time should ensure drastic improvement in the Government schools.
Speaking on the occasion, president of UMM Kamla Pant said State Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani had assured them on March 17 that the State Government would take immediate step to control the hegemony of private schools. However, the State Government had done nothing since then, she alleged.
Pant said the Government should order an immediate moratorium on increase of fees of the private schools in the ensuing academic session. She said the quality of education in the Government schools was declining at a fast rate due to which the parents were not sending their wards in these schools. The data suggested that in the urban areas the enrollment in the Government schools had dropped to almost 35 per cent. Pant said the all the Government employees and political leaders should compulsorily send their children to the Government school.
The dharna was attended by many parents who expressed their anger on the dictatorial attitude of private schools. One such parent Manju Balodi said that private school operators were working in an unbridled manner with only aim of minting money from the parents of students.
Meenu Rawat said the standard of education and other facilities in the Government schools would drastically improve once senior Government officials and Ministers start sending their wards to these schools. A statehood activist Bhuvneshwari Kathait said people of State should come out in the streets like during the statehood agitation against the private schools.
The agitation was attended by members of Nav Bharat Sangh, Uttarakhand Rajya Andolankari Manch, Advocate association, Bank Employees Association, Rajkeeya Shikshak Sangh, All Uttarakhand Parent Association, Uttarakhand Mahila Federation, Jan Sanwand, Aam Aadmi Party, Communist Party Of India (CPI), Disha organisation, Rural litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RlEK), lok Chetna Manch, Roadways Employee Association, RTI Trust, Apne Sapne, Progressive Women Association and Koshallya Dabral Sangharsh Vahini.