Page 22 - Education World Dec 2021

Education News

school and soliciting huge capitation stay afloat, are balk-
fees for admitting students, have also ing at issuing TCs until
surfaced in local newspapers. parents settle their bills.
Following political pressure, the However with parents
Pune district education department associations pressuris-
ordered an inquiry and sent Ware a ing the BJP govern-
notice (dated October 18) alleging ment, on November 25,
carelessness, misuse of power and the state government
administrative irregularity. In the let- succumbed. As it did
ter, Ware was accused of “working to earlier, on January 29,
increase his personal stature in society when it issued a direc-
while not following the rules.” More- tive to all private schools
over, a high officer of the Pune Zilla — including institutions
Parishad’s administrative office con- affiliated with pan-India
firmed an investigation against Ware Parents protest in Bengaluru CBSE and CISCE exam
under the Prevention of Corruption boards — to collect only
Act, 2018. Ware was suspended on within one week after it is sought for 70 percent of tuition (and no other)
November 22. by the parent, the aggrieved par- fees for the academic year ended
According to Ware, his “dispropor- ent can lodge a complaint with the April 2021.
tionate assets” pertain to agricultural Block Education Officer. The Block udget private schools, which at-
land purchased by him in 2005 for Education Officers will then serve a Btract children from dysfunctional
Rs.35 lakh in three installments which notice to the schools and give them government schools neglected and
is now valued by state government of- a seven-day period to revert to the ruined by state governments, have
ficials at Rs.8.5 crore. parent. Should school managements long been hate objects of politicians
In India’s much-neglected topsy- fail to issue the TC despite this, and bureaucrats, especially since
turvy public education system, aca- BEOs have been authorized to lodge they provide — or claim to provide —
demic excellence often extracts an un- complaints against the head of the English medium education. This has
expected price. Now under suspension institute and the management of the never been accepted by state level
Dattatray Ware is perhaps ruing that school under section 106 (2) (b) of politicians championing vernacular
he succeeded in transforming WZPP the Karnataka Education Act 1983,” languages as the medium of instruc-
into Maharashtra’s most admired zilla states the circular. S.106 states that tion.
parishad primary school. if a school’s governing council fails to Therefore, the prolonged lock-
Dipta Joshi (Mumbai) deliver details of properties, records down of schools because of the Covid
or accounts within time specified by pandemic provided them a good
KARNATAKA a judicial magistrate, it could invite opportunity to force mass closure
Another stick a punishment of imprisonment of BPS. Despite loud calls, private
schools were never accorded the
extending upto six months and a fine
of Rs.2,000, or both. status of MSMEs (micro, small and
VEN AS THE REOPENING OF The backstory of this circular is medium enterprises) eligible for spe-
primary-secondary schools on that over the past 16 months of the cial and concessional bank loans to
ENovember 8 after 64-weeks lockdown, a large number of parents tide them over the pandemic crisis.
of pandemic lockdown cheered have not paid their children’s school The Associated Managements
the state’s 21,000 private unaided fees citing job loss and economic of Private Schools in Karnataka
schools, a new circular of the state’s hardship. Now after schools have (KAMS), which has a membership
BJP government directing them reopened, instead of settling their of 4,000 budget private schools, has
to issue transfer certificates (TCs) pending dues, not a few of them reacted strongly to the November
to students within seven days has have enrolled their children in other 25 circular. At a meeting held on
proved a dampener. On November schools. But a TC issued by the trans- November 29, it advised member
25, the education ministry issued a feror school is mandatory for a child schools to file criminal complaints
circular warning to private school to be admitted into the transferee against fees defaulting parents.
managements, that if they don’t issue school. KAMS spokespersons say that
TCs to parents seeking to withdraw Confronted with the prospect of 30-40 percent of parents have not
their children within the prescribed huge unpaid debts, managements of paid their children’s fees for the year
time frame, there will be “action”. private schools — especially budget 2020-21, and fees arrears owing to
“Should schools fail to issue a TC private schools (BPS) — struggling to private schools have accumulated

22 EDUCATIONWORLD DECEMBER 2021