Steep hike in tuition fees effected by the managements of the private schools and along with it, other equally unjustified demands have placed the guardians in deep crisis.
To curb things, a Public Interest litigation (PIl) was filed against them. Taking up the PIl, the district Judge had issued notices to 15 private schools located across the district. Accepting the PIl filed by Rule of law and Justice Society of Haridwar, the district judge had ordered the respondent to file reply by July 3 in the court.
Advocate Nirdosh Mamgain, based in the city, said that the school managements should not make the schools as tools to run business.
The school should remain under the sway of the academicians instead. He appreciated the fact of the PIl being accepted by the court. “I hope better result will come out of it,” he added.
Vedika Tiwari, mother of a student, also welcomed the move and said it might help in breaking the nexus involving the owners of such schools and the tailors or shopkeepers who make good business out of selling school dresses. “The schools force us to purchase uniforms for our wards from some shops specified,” she said.
The lawyer who filed the petition, Rajesh Rathore, informed that the PIl had demanded actions against 15 private schools of the district which had forced the guardians to go for things as commanded by the managements.
“Every year they force the guardians to deposit donations in defiance of the law. The guardians who refuse or fail to fall in line are punished by their children being black-listed,” he said.
He further said the president of the society Arvind Srivastava had written to the chief secretary, Government of Uttarakhand and district education officer Haridwar to intervene. But no action being taken, they had finally knocked the door of the court.