The organisations engaged in the agitation against the autocratic attitude of private school owners are not impressed by the warning given by District Magistrate (DM) of Dehradun to these schools in a meeting on Saturday. They are of the view that DM’s threat is a mere eyewash aimed to soothe the tempers of people against these schools.
The DM of Dehradun Ravinath Raman reportedly got angry on the private school operators in the meeting and asked them to follow rules and regulation while running the schools.
The representatives of the school told the DM that the issue is just media hype and the parents of the students are not concerned with the agitation of some organisations. The DM on his part asked the schools to maintain transparency and clarify their policy on tuition fees, admission fee and other things concerning common people.
He warned that the administration would take stern action against the school if violation of law is noticed. The Uttarakhand Parents Association engaged in a bitter battle against the private schools does not see any merit in the threat of DM.
The president of Association Neeraj Singhal told The Pioneer that the administration lacks will to take on the might of private schools. He said the warning is insignificant as DM has not given any specific written orders to the schools.
“DM said that he would act if any complaint is made against the schools, I want to ask, what is status of the various complaints already lodged by the parentsIJ” Singhal asked.
He said the State Government should implement the Government Order (GO) of 1995 which governs the recognition of these schools in the letter and spirit. He informed that the meeting was called at the time when the schools have already distributed textbooks, stationery, uniform and increased the fee.
Singhal claimed that the association would soon file petition in Uttarakhand High Court asking it to intervene in public interest. He said the association would stage a protest in front of office of District Magistrate on Tuesday.
The president of Uttarakhand Mahila Morcha and coordination committee member of Shiksha Jan Sangharsh Abhiyan (SJSA), Kamla Pant too expressed her anguish at the fact that nothing concrete came out of the much hyped meeting of DM and school heads. SJSA is an umbrella organisation of various social and political entities.
The organisation is on a path of agitation against the hegemony of private schools and demand revival of Government schools of the State for benefit of common man. Pant said the organisation wants that the State Government should form such laws which rein the private schools and mandate that all those drawing money from Government treasury should send their wards in the Government schools.