Thane education department loses it autonomous status

On Friday, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) dissolved the education board as an autonomous organisation. They will now function under the TMC and all the pre-primary, primary and secondary divisions will merge and work as a single body.

TMC Commissioner Aseem Gupta, gave a dismissal order of the board on Thursday and also dissolved the independent existence of the education department. This decision was taken as per the Right to Education law imposed by the central government. In July 2013, there was a rule to dismiss the education board, that does not come under municipal corporations. But, it was only on Thursday that the state government decided to implement it.

"As per the new law, the education department will be governed by the TMC and all the divisions up to class XII will come under TMC. This has been applicable in Mumbai but not in Thane district, it was the zilla parishad that managed the secondary divisions. Henceforth, the department will come under the functioning of an officer of the deputy commissioner level. At present, the responsibility of the department is entrusted to the TMC Deputy Commissioner, Manish Joshi," says Aseem.

The commissioner insists that he has taken this decision also to avoid any corruption or decrease in the educational quality in schools. There is not much of a difference in the position of the officers within the department. "We have to report to the TMC about our initiatives and activities and have some additional responsibilities as well," says Ganpat More, education officer.