Page 18 - EducationWorld January 2021

Education News

WEST BENGAL
paying tuition fees for the
past nine months, BPS Teachers recruitment
have followed the ex-
ample of private unaided
schools. imbroglio
According to the Fed-
eration of Schools As- ith the state legislative
sociation of Maharash- assembly election a mere
tra (FSAM) which has Wfour months away, politi-
a membership of 5,800 cal jousting in West Bengal (pop.91
BPS, many parents who million) is getting more fierce by the
refuse to pay fees block day. The ruling Trinamool Congress
calls from school author- party led by stormy petrel chief
ities even as their chil- minister Mamata Banerjee con-
dren continue to attend Rajendra Singh: tough stand warning testing for a third term in office, is
online classes. In mid- confronted by the BJP, which rules at
December, FSAM launched a ‘No fees, to collect remainder fees for academic the Centre and in 12 states country-
No school’ campaign and advised its years 2019-20 and 2020-21 and allow wide. In General Election 2014, BJP
members to discontinue online class- parents the option to pay quarterly or won a mere two of West Bengal’s 42
es for three days (December 15-17). on a monthly basis. Aggrieved, edu- seats in the Lok Sabha. In General
Over 1,500 schools in Pune, Mumbai, cational institutions filed a writ in the Election 2019, it won 18 with a vote
Thane and Dombivli responded by Bombay high court which stayed the share of 40.64 percent cf. TMC’s 43.3
shutting down online classes. government’s GR on June 26. percent. Quite clearly, already facing
“For our member schools, fees paid Unsurprisingly, the state gov- normative anti-incumbency fatigue,
by parents is the only source of in- ernment has sided with the parents two-term chief minister Banerjee has
come. For most of our members 20-30 lobby, ignoring video clips of parents a fight on her hands.
percent of tuition fees payable for the threatening school managers and Responding to defections from
academic year 2019-20 and 50 per- has supported the populist argument her party and high-profile campaign-
cent of fees for 2020-21, which were that private schools are “profiteering” ing in the state by top BJP leaders,
payable in advance, remain pending. from the pandemic. Moreover, educa- Banerjee has gone into overdrive,
As a result most of us cannot afford to tion minister Varsha Gaikwad has announcing new employment-
pay our teachers full salaries. Parents promised to introduce parent-friendly generating schemes and recruit-
who refuse to pay fees are doing great amendments such as reviving the di- ment drives. Major announcements
injustice to teachers as well as other visional fees regulatory committee include conduct of final interviews
parents who have paid their dues. (DFRC) to address fees-related dis- to appoint 16,500 primary teachers
Now we intend to take a tough stand putes between parents and school in the state’s 92,000 government
against parents who haven’t paid managements, in the already existing schools between January 10-17; hold
their children’s fees,” says Rajendra Maharashtra Educational Institutions a fresh, statewide Teacher Eligibil-
Singh, president of FSAM. (Regulation of Fee) Act, 2011. ity Test (TET) on January 31 and
ollowing the national lockdown Curiously, none of the irate middle- appoint 80 principals in state-funded
Fdeclared by the Central govern- class parents’ representative associa- colleges, where top posts are vacant,
ment to prevent spread of the Co- tions provides a convincing answer to by February. These announcements
vid-19 pandemic, a large number of the question of why they don’t enroll have particular significance as thou-
schools introduced online classes to their children in free-of-charge gov- sands of teachers who have passed
maintain learning continuity of their ernment schools, a telling commen- previous TETs are on the warpath,
students. Instead of being grateful, tary on the state government’s com- protesting the state government’s
parents associations across the state plete neglect of Maharashtra’s 116,233 policy of complete freeze on teacher
demanded 50 percent fees reduction. government primary-higher second- recruitment. During the year past,
To compound the problem, the Shiv ary schools. numerous protests have been staged
Sena-led state government issued a Evidently Maharashtra’s subsi- across the state.
government resolution (GR) dated dies-addicted middle class believes it Against this backdrop, Baner-
May 8 warning private school manage- has the right to private education on jee’s announcement on November
ments of stern action if they increased its own terms. Hence the unseemly 11 that the West Bengal Board of
fees or compelled parents to pay fees. wrangling. Primary Education will conduct
Moreover, schools were directed not Dipta Joshi (Mumbai) final interviews of 16,500 graduates

18 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2021