Forum writes to PM on problems faced by unaided private schools
The forum has more than 225 member schools with about 2 lakh students. The letter has focussed on the mounting problems of unaided private schools in Maharashtra which, if not addressed immediately, will be "contrary to public interest and result in a gigantic setback to education".
In an effort to make the education department take remedial measures for correcting anti-educational policies, the unaided schools forum has written to the prime minister as well as the chief minister, highlighting the extraordinary problems unaided private schools in state face.
The letter, dated February 22, states that some of the policies are such that they make normal functioning and survival of such schools "impossible", deterring expansions or setting up of new schools — conflicting circulars/GRs, which defeat the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, government's refusal to reimburse fees to weaker section students for pre-primary admissions, conducting baseline tests for students in Stds I to V and for testing qualified teachers' eligibility, imposition of non-academic duties on teachers, and declaration of state language as an additional compulsory subject even for minority schools among others.
The forum has more than 225 member schools with about 2 lakh students. The letter has focussed on the mounting problems of unaided private schools in Maharashtra which, if not addressed immediately, will be "contrary to public interest and result in a gigantic setback to education".
Forum secretary SC Kedia said, "Earlier, we had written a letter to the CM, narrating our problems and how our member schools are being forced to admit children under the RTE quota despite only two months left for this academic year to get over. But there was no action taken by the chief minister's office. Hence, we have now written to the prime minister."