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| Now, parents blame Edu Minister for giving freehand to pvt schools | | | Abdul Majid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Aug 3: Education Minister Naeem Akhter Andrabi is finding himself in the midst of unending controversies. While Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers staged massive protests in Srinagar on Monday against him, scores of parents blamed him for giving a freehand to private schools in the Valley.
Delegations of parents who visited the Press Enclave here said the minister had given a freehand to some leading private schools as admission season is round the corner. Getting admissions in such schools is a challenge for many parents.
The parents said that pampered by the Education Minister, the leading private schools are taking them parents for a ride. "For example, a leading missionary school for boys in Sonawar locality has been holding seven unit tests a day, and in the latest the school authorities have gone for more of exploitation," they said.
Usually, a LKG student isn't expected to write words as he still hones the skill of writing alphabets alone. The same holds true to this school, where LKG students are yet to fully learn cursive writing.
But in a July 31 notification, the school authorities have asked the LKG students to write a full-fledged essay of around 100 words for the school magazine on either of the topics like "My Tiffin", "My Favorite Festival" or "My School Library."
The parents complained that it was impossible for the child of tender age to write essays. "How can my four-year-old son write essay when he is yet to learn framing words," complained a mother.
Educationists endorse the public viewpoint. "It is absolutely nonsense to make a LKG student write essay when he is yet to learn words properly," said Dr Showkat Ahmed Zadoo, an educationist.
The parents said the matter was brought into the notice of the Directorate of School Education Kashmir but to no avail.
On the other hand, a leading school for girls in Raj Bagh locality has been asking students to "work hard on preparation of extracurricular projects" and appear in exams simultaneously. "Given the late classification, there's already little time left for students to prepare for finals… Making them waste time on extracurricular activities makes no sense," said a teacher.
Also, complaints are pouring in that schools' authorities are misbehaving with the parents on one pretext or the other. While some schools have denied bus service others want parents to pay extra for school building repairs.
The complainants said it looks that government has gone for complete surrender before private schools ahead of the new admission session.
A senior official in the DSEK, asking not to be identified, said the Education Minister has issued verbal orders that no private school should be questioned on public complaints without his consent.
"It often happens that close to admission season ministers take dealing with private schools into their own hands," the official said.
Parents on the other hand said they made several representations to the Education Minister seeking his personal intervention. "But he is silent for obvious reasons," they said.
Meanwhile, the protesting ReTs complained that Education Minister's decision to put the working teachers to screening was "disrespectful and exploitation at the hands of those at the helm."
The Education Minister could not be contacted for comments. |
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