Education should be seen from service point of view instead of profit-making : Brar
Edu. Deptt. Team visits Convent School
Education should be seen from service point of view instead of profit-making : Brar
Majority of private schools agreed for amicable settlement of fee structure by a committee in Ferozepur – remaining to face action
Ferozepur, April 21, 2016 : In view of continued protests from parents accusing the school managements for turning education services into business by charging of hefty annual fees, out of 283 private schools in Ferozepur District, 270 agreed to the decisions taken by a committee constituted by the district administration, consisting of various representatives of schools, parents and social organizations. There are certain schools which are still exploiting the parents and they are likely to face action.
Added here, the government is in a head-over-heels approach over fee hike in private schools and the Punjab Education Minister Dr.Daljit Singh Cheema has promised a body or legislation by year-end to regulate school fee and save parents from exploitation at the hands of private institutions. Despite asking the High Court to come with a permanent mechanism or regulatory body within six months, there has been no change even after three years rather the issue has escalated.
In this context, a team of education department headed by Pargat Brar, Deputy Education Officer, today visited local Convent School.
Speaking to this correspondent, Brar said, the team has visited the school for implementation of the directions of Supreme Court of India in its judgment during 2013, in a writ petition No.20545 of 2009, with a view to check the level of education, infrastructure and facilities being extended to the students apart from scrutiny of any exploitation of the parents of the children.
He said, the prescribed format of the norms of education department, has been provided to the school, which include the names of the complete bio-data of teachers on roll and wages being paid apart from the tabulated date of last five years – 2012-13 to 2016-17 – number of students, admission fee, tuition fee, monthly and annual fee or fund, admission fee, details of school fund, area of the school, playground, number of class rooms with dimension, number of labs, remission of fees of economically weaker section, arrangements for drinking water etc. On the other hand, the school has asked for two days’ time to provide the information in the prescribed format and the status will be reviewed after the receipt of the information.
He made it clear that in case any of the school is not following the norms of the education department would be dealt with severely. However, the education should be seen from service point of view instead of profit-making.
In the meantime, the district administration had issued 17-point instructions to all the private schools not to compel the parents of the students to purchase the books other than syllabus of NCERT, CBSE, PSEB and ICSE. School managements will also not compel the parents to purchase the uniforms, stationery and other material from their outlets, no student will be compelled to join e-learning classes. The uniforms will not be changed for five years; the managements will not exceed the fees more than 10 per cent per year without the approval of the fee committee. Managements will not compel to pay fees more than one month at a time. Addition in fees will be made according to the order of Punjab and Haryana High Court. In the event of any complaint, the student or parent will first brought it to the notice of Principal and in case the same is not solved the same will referred to the local managing committee of the school and then to the DEOs concerned.
