Thursday, January 28, 2010

PRIVATE SCHOOLS MUST ROLL BACK FEE HIKES

THE TIMES OF INDIA, GOA
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2009


Commercialization of Education Had Become Nationwide Problem, Says Activist

Rajeshree Nagarsekar TNN

Margao: While calling upon parents in Goa to demand that the government direct unaided, recognized, private schools to ensure that they roll back the hikes in fee and other charges to a level that is just, reasonable and devoid of an element of commercialization, Supreme Court lawyer and president of All India Parents Association, Ashok Agarwal on Wednesday said that the issue of commercialization of education has become a nationwide problem.



“Writ petitions have been filed in high courts of about 10 states, including Goa, after the historic Supreme Court judgement of April 27, 2004 in the Modern School case which has far reaching effects in the field of school education – not only for Delhi Schools but also for schools all over the country,” said Agarwal whose petition led to the judgement in which the SC categorically held that the government has the authority to regulate the fee in unaided schools.



“The Supreme Court was primarily dealing with the menace of commercialization of education and exploitation of hapless parents by unaided recognized private schools in Delhi through arbitrary fee hikes every year. This judgement is being seen as a radical step to make education in private schools affordable to common man and to encourage integration of children belonging to weaker section in the schools that were hitherto known as elite schools,” he told TOI on Wednesday.



Explaining the significant aspect of the judgement, Agarwal said, “It has finally laid to rest the controversy whether the government has the authority to regulate the fee and other charges of unaided recognized private schools and thus to prevent commercialization of education. The two significant conditions pointed out by the Supreme Court are: (a) a school shall not increase the rates of tuition fee without the prior sanction of the Directorate of Education, and (b) the school shall admit students belonging to the weaker section to the extent of 25% and grant them free-ships,” he informed.



Agarwal added that in the Goan context, it is binding on the government to initiate action against unaided schools who failed to provide their fee structures to the government, despite several circulars. He also called for the formation of a comprehensive national law for regulating all affairs, including fee structures of private unaided schools, besides strongly advocating up-gradation of all government schools to the minimum level of Kendre Vidyalaya to end the prevailing discrimination in the educational system.



Citing the recent cabinet decision to allow schools run by the minorities to have their own managing committees without government interference, Agarwal remarked that the government intends to bring amendments to the Education Act to provide more liberties to the private schools and suggested the presence of at least 50% parents on the managing committee of the private schools to ensure better transparency.



“Right to education is a fundamental right of every child under the Constitution as Article 21-A mandates the state to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age of 6-14 years. This right, moreover, does not depend on the capacity of the parents to afford fee or not. Therefore, every child whether studying in private or state-run school is entitled to free education. The state should bear the entire expenses even of the children studying in private-run schools,” he opined.
______________________

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Notice against PIL on school fee regulation

Chennai, Jan. 6: The Madras high court on Wednesday ordered notice to the state government on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging certain provisions of the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Act and Rule, stipulating norms for determining the fee for private schools.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice H.L. Gokhale and Justice K.K. Sasidharan posted after 8 weeks further hearing of the PIL filed by P.N. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State platform for common school system.

Accepting the arguments of Additional Advocate General P.Wilson, the bench, however, declined to stay the functioning of the Justice K.Govindarajan Committee, constituted under Section 5 of the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of collection of Fee) Act, to fix the fee for private schools.
In his PIL, the petitioner sought to quash section 5 and 6 of the Act and Rule 3 of the Tamil Nadu Schools (Regulation of Collection of Fee) Rules, 2009.
Deccan Chronicle 7th January 2010

Saturday, January 16, 2010

SCHOOLS GEAR UP TO HIKE FEES

NEW DELHI: Schools in the capital are once again getting ready to hike fees in the new session which begins in April. The management of most schools are likely to decide on the quantum of hike in March after they lay out the budget for the next academic session. "As the cost of everything is increasing, there will be a hike. It may be less or more than 10%,'' said L V Sehgal, principal, Bal Bharti Public School, Ganga Ram Hospital Marg, who is also the vice-president of National Progressive Schools' Conference (NPSC) a body of at least 110 schools.


The schools had earlier raised fees after the Sixth Pay Commision was implemented in September 2008. The directorate of education (DoE) accepted the recommendations of the Bansal Committee formed in October 2008 by Delhi government to look into the matter of a fee hike. As per DoE directions issued on February 11, 2009, parents had to pay upto Rs 500 as the hike in tuition fees besides a maximum of Rs 4,500 as arrears in two-three instalments though the matter is now subjudice.


"There hasn't been a hike in the last session. But there will be an escalation this year. We will look into our annual budget and decide upon a justified hike,'' said Bharti Sharma, principal, Amity International School, Saket. D K Bedi, principal, Apeejay School, Pitampura, said, "There are three months to go before the hike is introduced. It will be reasonable and will bedecided in consultation with government representatives. There are two nominees each from the government and the DoE on the management board.


'' Parents are worried. Said advocate Ashok Aggarwal, who runs a civil rights group called Social Jurist, "Schools hike fees by 10% to 30% every year. As per court directions, they can increase or decrease the fee according to their expenditure and projections. But schools assume that they can only hike the fee.'' He added, "Any increase so close to last year's hike may force more children to drop out of private schools.''


Times of India, New Delhi 16 January 2010

DELHI GOVT FAILS TO REIMBUSE EXPENSES TO EWS STUDENTS

07.01.2010

To
The Secretary Education
Govt. of NCT of Delhi
Old Secretariat Building
Civil Lines
Delhi-110054

Sub: - Reimbursement for expenditure on account of uniform and books to EWS students in terms of Delhi School Education (Free Seats for Students Belonging to Economically Weaker Sections) Order-2006 for the year 2009-2010


Dear Madam,


It is brought to your kind notice that Sub-Clause (4) & (5) of Clause 3 of The Delhi School Education (Free Seats for Students Belonging to Economically Weaker Sections) Order-2006 provides for reimbursement by the Education Department to EWS students for expenditure on account of uniform and books. The said Sub-Clauses are reproduced as under:-


3 (4): -The student admitted against free seats shall get financial assistance, at par with students of Government school, for expenditure on account of uniform and books.


3(5): - the financial assistance referred to in sub paragraph (4) shall be reimbursed by the Education Department and disbursed through the Head of School.


It is submitted that, at least 25 thousand students belonging to EWS quota are studying in un-aided private schools. However, they have not so far received any money on account of expenses on uniform and books in terms of the aforementioned provisions of the Order for the year 2009-2010 though the said academic year is nearly over.


It is also submitted that DOE has reimbursed more than a crore of rupees to 15000 EWS students during 2008-2009 only when we had taken up the matter with the Hon’ble Delhi High Court.


It is, therefore, requested that all the EWS students may kindly be provided the financial assistance for expenditure on account of uniform and books as per the aforementioned Govt. Order-2006 for the year 2009-2010 immediately.


With Regards,

Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
Advisor, Social Jurist

NCERT COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT RTE IN INDIAN CAPITAL

Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee to Develop Policy Framework to Enable the Implementation of RTE Act in Schools in NCT of Delhi


The NCERT has constituted a Committee to develop a policy framework to enable the implementation of RTE act in schools in NCT of Delhi. It consists of the following members.

Sri Ashok Agarwal, Legal Expert - Chairperson
Prof. Nalini Juneja, NUEPA - Member
Prof. N. Panchapakesan - Member
Dr. Naseem Siddiqui - Member
Smt. Indira Yadav, Pratham Delhi - Member
Dr. C. Suvasini, Miranda House - Member
Dr. Geeta Dharmarajan, Katha - Member
Dr. Shalini Advani - Member
Mrs Leena Ratti, Teacher, MCD School - Member
Dr. N.K. Gupta, NCERT - Member
Prof. A.K. Srivastava - Convener


The first meeting of the Committee was held on 8th January 2010 at NCERT, New Delhi. It was attended by Prof. Krishna Kumar, Director NCERT, Sri Ashok Agarwal, Prof. Nalini Juneja, Prof. N. Panchapakesan, Smt. Indira Yadav, Dr Geeta Dharmarajan, Mrs. Leena Ratti, and Prof. A.K. Srivastava.


The members discussed in detail the various issues. It was agreed that instead of focussing on MCD schools alone, the committee should attend to the issue of availability of equitable primary education to every child in Delhi. It should examine the capacity of the schools run by MCD, NDMC, Delhi Administration, Delhi Cantonment Board (excluding private schools) with regard to their preparedness to grapple the challenges posed by RTE act for providing quality education to children from grade 1 to grade 8. This is important as within the six months of the notification of RTE Act, the state governments will be required to fulfil this mandate. In view of this the Committee suggested to modify the earlier title of the programme—Vertical Expansion of MCD’s Primary Schools to Secondary and Senior Secondary Stages: Development of a Policy Framework.


The revised title of the programme is as under:


Development of a Policy Framework to Enable the Implementation of
RTE Act in Schools in NCT of Delhi.


The revised objectives of the programme are given below.


To examine the arrangements for school education in NCT of Delhi;
To examine the capacity of the MCD/ Delhi Government to meet the challenges presented by RTE Act with a focus on quality education; and

To recommend areas of research on appropriate delivery of facilities in Delhi.

Each objective requires a number of tasks to be accomplished by the Committee. The details of the tasks with the assignment of responsibility to the members are given below.

Objective No.
Task
Responsibility assigned to

1 To examine the arrangements for school education in NCTD

(a) Preparation of profile of children in Delhi
Prof. Nalini Juneja


(b) Conditions of life of children in Delhi with reference to their
Educational background of parents/ family
Economic profile
Availability of basic amenities
Family conditions
Street/ slum children
Tuition

(c) Structure of Education Department of MCD, Delhi Government, NDMC, DCB

2 To examine the capacity of the MCD/ Delhi Government to meet the challenges presented by RTE Act with a focus on quality education

(a) Vision of school education with reference to:
Decisions taken
Policy making

(b) RTE and MDM

(c) Teachers, with reference to Their status Recruitment Inservice training Deployment
opportunities for professional growth

Prof. N. Panchapakesan


(d) Flow of funds General, Budget SSA, Projects

Smt. Indira Yadav


(e) Administrative set-up for Training Research & Innovation


(f) Building and Infrastructure Maintenance Sanitation and cleaning

Mrs Leena Ratti


(g) Training and Research facilities to teachers and clerical support

Mrs Leena Ratti

(h) Interlinkages between MCD and other set ups

(i) Accountability of the SchoolTeachers

(j) Quality issues in schools

Dr Geeta Dharamrajan

3. To recommend areas of research on appropriate delivery of facilities in Delhi



It was decided that the second meeting of the Committee will be held on 22nd January 2010 at 2.00 PM in NCERT to discuss the draft prepared by the members.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to all the members.




*****

GREEDY SCHOOL LEAVES STUDENTS TO SHIVER & SUFFER IN SEVERE COLD

Mr Ashok Agarwal,
The President,
All India Parent Association,
Delhi India

Sub : - Regarding Arrears enforcement, harassment and humiliation to Parent and their Child by Rukhmani Devi Jaipuria Public School,23, Rajpur Road, Delhi-54,India.

Kind attn: Mr Ashok Agarwal Ji,

I want to expedite and inform you that, in spite of High Court Order and all India Parents association Kind Request , the Menace of Arrears enforcement, harassment and humiliation to the Parents and their Childs by Rukhmani Devi Jaipuria Public School,23, Rajpur Road, Delhi-54,India is still ON over last One year now.


I want to request you sir, and the Delhi High Court and Directorate of Education ,Delhi / authority to take the necessary action on such school management.


I have regularly reported in last few Years to the School management about the Pathetic condition of the classroom for children and for class Teachers.


The Classroom are not having the minimum very basic standards of education and not having basic adequate facility for the child and for the class teachers in spite of school is raising the school Fees every years at the rate of 20 to 30% Annually.


The school is having below average Teacher and teaching standard in spite of every year hike of 20-30% school Fees and implementation of 6th Pay Commission.


In this severe and shivering worst Winter the students are sitting in the class with open windows and no grill in the window and have no window pane, on the other hand the School Principal is sitting in a closed Room with Room Heater and with all winter comfort.


I want to ask the directorate office and Delhi High Court, that, in spite of 6th Pay commission Fees, how can a principal can enjoy all this winter comfort and Keep our Childs and our wards in a classroom in severe cold and shivering worst winter condition which are not adequate and not meeting minimum basic standard of classroom of any Public School standard.


What is the benefit of paying hiked Fees to the school by the Parents, when our wards are not getting the due benefit of our hiked Fees as per 6th Pay commission.
Now school Principal is enforcing and demanding with every Parents for the so called ARREARS dues as and claimed by school authority as reason of per 6th Pay commission order and directorate order dated 11/2/2009 .


Sir, School Principal is enforcing and demanding this ARREAR DUES , ELSE, THEY will not allow our child to attend school classes.


School authorities are not giving child Report Card without taking Arrears and OR taking undertaking by Parents to pay ARREARS WITHIN 16TH Jan2009.Otherwise, school will dismiss our child from the Register. But, I have managed to get Report card without undertaking and after having dialogues and arguments with Principal. But, School is harassing every Parents and child for this issue.


This is happening in a Public school which is at the Locality and below the Nose of Delhi Directorate of education Office.


Sir, Please help us and protect us from being harassed any more now by school authority.


Best Regards,


Mahendra Singh
On Self and on Behalf of Parent Association
Rukhmani Devi Jaipuria Public School,
23, Rajpur Road, Delhi-54,India

GOVT FAILS TO FRAME GUIDELINES FOR PRE SCHOOLS

To, 15.01.2010
The Director of Education,
Govt. of NCT of Delhi,
Old Secretariat Building,
Civil Lines, Delhi-110054,

Sub: - Govt. fails to frame guidelines for pre-schools

Dear Sir,

Your kind attention is drawn to Clause 21 of Recognized Schools (Admission Procedure for Pre-primary Class) Order, 2007 in terms of which you were required to frame guidelines for pre-schools which has not been done so far.


The Clause 21 of the said Order is being reproduced as under:-

“There shall be one year of pre-primary class in every school. A class of one year duration preceding this called pre-school may be set-up as a neighbouring pre-school and the Education Department shall frame the guidelines in this regard, in consultant with experts. The school which are already running pre-school class may continue to do so subject to the following conditions:-

(a) Every child admitted to pre-school shall be of minimum three years by 31st March of the year in which admission is being sought;

(b) The schools shall frame their own guidelines for admission to pre-school class and the same criteria as for admission to the pre-primary schools are framed;

(c) Any such school which has a pre-school class from the session commencing in April 2008, shall move those students to the pre-primary class for the session commencing in April 2009. after that, the final norms to be notified for the pre-school class shall be followed.”


You may appreciate that in the letters and spirit of the various Orders of the Hon’ble Delhi High Court, Ashok Ganguly Committee Report and your above referred Order of 2007, all the recognized private schools will have only one year of pre-primary class and the practice of having more than one year of pre-primary classes are required to be stopped.


Nearly, three years of the said Order have gone but the Government has not framed the guidelines for pre-schools, resulting in continuation of unfair, exploitative and anti-child practice of formal schools having more than one year of pre-primary classes in the school.


You are, therefore, requested to kindly frame the guidelines in regard to pre-schools in terms of Clause 21 of the aforesaid Orderof 2007 and to stop the practice of schools having more than one year of pre-primary classes in their formal schools at the earliest.


With regards,


Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
Advisor, Social Jurist
(M) 9811101923

NCERT PANEL WILL DECIDE ON RTE FOR CITY SCHOOLS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has constituted a committee under the chairpersonship of Ashok Agarwal , a legal expert and associated with Social Jurist, to look into the implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 in city schools.


The committee would look into different aspects of government schools such as socio-economic background of children, service conditions , training, status of teachers, administrative functioning and structure of education departments. This 11-member committee draws experts and stakeholders from different spheres like faculty members of NCERT and National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), representatives from NGOs, a MCD schoolteacher and some individual experts working in related areas.


According to Hemnat Kumar , assistant editor, NCERT, The NCERT has taken this initiative to prepare an elaborate policy framework to enable the implementation of RTE Act in schools of Delhi. The aim is to recommend this policy framework to MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board and the Delhi administration , which would help them prepare for the challenges posed by RTE Act for providing quality education to children from classes I to VIII. This is crucial for these agencies as within six months of the notification of RTE Act the state government will be required to fulfill the Acts mandate.

SJ REPORT ON ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATION IN DELHI GOVT SCHOOL

Today on 14th January 2010 SKV Noor Nagar Celebrated its Annual Day with enthusiasm and zeal. This achievement would not have been possible without the sincere efforts of Principal Mrs. Razia Begum & Staff Members.


The Chief Guest Mrs. Shanta Sinha, Chairperson of the newly constituted National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) is known for her pioneering work on the issue of child right. She was awarded with Padamshri in 1998 and Magsaysay. She laid stress on the education of each and every child. No single Child should be involved in labour work and be deprived from his/her fundamental right of Education.


Mrs. Shanta Sinha( Chief Guest) was very much impressed with the performance of the children of School. She added in the end of her speech “if the programmes of the Government School are so good, the children are so disciplined and Staff and the Principal is working with synergy and innovative methods of inculcating education, then I wonder why there is a need of private Schools in our Country”. On this occasion she expressed her astonishment that every performance was so meticulously performed in very short time, when the principal’s tenure is only of two to three months. She designated the students as heroines after seeing their performance. Every child should go to school. She shared her experience with the children about her childhood education in Aided School & expressed her desires why she failed to study in such a Government School.


The other Guest of Honour was Dr. Shahid Parvez. Regional Director, Maulana Azad National University laid stressed on the Urdu Language. Students should pursue with this language till higher levels as Government of India had already planned courses for Urdu Language, Its status is no lesser than any other language. Students should pursue this freely for their bright future. He expressed his views regarding the programmes that he is surprised and speechless after seeing the vibrant programme performed by the Girls of S.K.V Noor Nagar School mainly belonging to Minority. He also stressed that every child should pursue higher studies and language is no bar for Education.


Distinguished Guest Advocate Ashok Agarwal (a Social Jurist) laid stressed on the aspect of self respect. Self respect is a key for human being. A person should never compromise with his /her circumstances. On the other hand, one should face them bravely. He expressed his desires that every disabled Child should also be brought to school.


It was the pleasure of the school to be with the esteemed presence of the personalities. Principal Mrs. Razia Begum extended her gratitude to all who have contributed with their constructive suggestions to make this function a great gala.


She shared with the students and others presence their role in developing the Country by becoming the right Citizen and to work for the community, By the Community, With the Community. She thanked Directorate of Education for giving this platform to honour such dignitaries as Principal of Noor Nagar School.