Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 26: Alleging un-necessary harassment by the concerned authorities, the J&K Private Schools Association has demanded complete autonomy to the unaided schools and threatened protest rallies throughout the State if the Government does not address their grievances.
“Instead of facilitating the private schools, which are spreading literacy and providing quality education without any financial assistance from the State, the Government authorities are hell bent to discourage us by issuing draconian orders and ridiculous circulars,” said Prof J L Kotwal, a reputed educationist and chairman of the Association, while addressing a press conference along with other members of PSA, here today.
Highlighting the teething problems, being faced by the private schools, he lamented that despite repeated submissions by the Association, the concerned authorities in the School Education Department did not pay any heed to their grievances and instead new ways and means are being discovered to harass the small schools.
“The situation can be gauged from the fact that since 27-2-2015, no school has been granted recognition by the School Education Department, for which the under process status of small private schools is a source of minting money,” he alleged.
The Association president, Kamal Gupta demanded amendment in SRO 123 under section 29 of School Regulation Act 2002 in consultation with the stake holders, deletion of Private schools from the preview of Labour laws, no interference of Government in fixing the fee in unaided Private schools, no sub-committee for screening of the inspection report, a check on mushrooming of private schools, closure of schools without adequate infrastructure or running authorizedly, etc.
He particularly demanded minimizing the hurdles and number of formalities for private schools while obtaining recognition/affiliation. “The NOC demanded from the Private Schools functioning since decades, while obtaining recognition/affiliation, are not needed as these are required for the opening of new school or to the institution functioning in a rented building,” he explained and demanded one time recognition/ affiliation.
G N Var, president of Joint Action Committee Srinagar; Rameshwar Mengi, vice president PSA; Ajay Gupta, secretary cum State coordinator and other leaders of the Association were also present in the press conference. They threatened to go for mass rallies and protests in the entire State if the Government does not address their grievances.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
