The All Uttarakhand Parents Association (AUPA) has expressed its anguish over unwarranted delay in passing the private schools regulatory authority Bill by which the State Government proposes to rein in the private schools of the State.
A meeting of the working committee of the association was organised under the leadership of State President Neeraj Singhal. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the State Chief Minister Harish Rawat on May 10 this year had declared on the floor of the assembly that a regulatory authority for private schools of the state would be constituted but till date there is no sign of the proposed authority.
“After the declaration of the CM, the parents were hoping that the hegemony of the private school owners would be brought under control but the state government has done nothing till date on the issue,’’ he said.
In the meeting it was decided that Association would welcome the state government if it brings in the proposed authority but in case the government fails to do the same then the association would hit the path of agitation. Singhal said that the association has 75109 members in the state and all of them with the help of common public facing hardships from the dictatorial attitude of the private schools owners would set up a state wide agitation.
The AUPA is demanding creation of a regulatory authority for a long time; it is of the opinion that the schools should be allowed to increase fees only once in three years and the increase should not be more than 10 percent.
The body of the parents is also demanding that Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) should be constituted in all the schools and the schools should be asked to subscribe the books of National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) to the
students. The association is of the view that the provisions of the Universal Right to Education (RTE) should be implemented in its letter and spirit.
It is estimated that there are more than four thousand private schools in the state where lakhs of students are enrolled.