Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Aug 8: District Magistrate (DM) has imposed ban on admission fees (on promotion) and sale of stationery items, uniform, etc by private schools of the district. However, the private institutions of the district have decided to go on indefinite strike from tomorrow.
According to the order, parents of the students studying in the private schools in the district have raised the issue of overcharging of school fees in the shape of admission fee while promoting students to next classes, besides charging building development fund etc.
It has also come to the notice of DM that the management of private schools are indulging in highly commercial activities like selling of stationery items, uniforms, school bags, water bottles etc, which is unacceptable, the order reads.
DM Rohit Khajuria in exercise under Section 144 of CrPC has imposed restriction on charging of admission fess on promotion to next class, sale of stationery items, uniforms, etc on the school premises even with some outside arrangements. However, the textbooks as per the syllabus can be sold by the school management strictly on the notified/fixed prices. This restriction will continue for the period of two months wef August 5 to October 4 this year.
Meanwhile, a team of Education Department led by Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kathua Bishan Singh on the direction of DC Kathua Rohit khajuria paid surprise visit to three private schools and seized their record room after getting the complaints from parents about the charging of admission fee and other fee from the students studying in these institutions.
The team paid visit to two branches of Spring Dales School Kathua and Minerva Public School Kathua and did not get satisfactory answer on charging of admission fee in shape of annual fee and monthly tuition fee on higher rates without fixing any rate of fee.
CEO Kathua Bishan Singh said, “We are verifying the record and action will be taken after inquiry”.
However, in a meeting, the stakeholder of private schools of district Kathua has decided to shut down their schools from tomorrow for an indefinite period to protest against the unlawful locking of recognized schools of District Kathua by DC Kathua.
They said that the dictatorial attitude of DC has made the functioning of private schools difficult. Despite following all the rules and regulations of the Education Department, DC has been issuing illegal orders on his own whims and fancies. The irresponsible behavior of DC has crossed all the limits when his team put locks on the duly recognized schools of Kathua District. The entire school fraternity was shocked by the unwarranted action of DC Kathua, they added.
The meeting was attended by Sat Paul Mansotra, Swami Parmanand, GS Katal, Mahipal Sharma, Ravi Shankar Raina, Prof RK Gupta, Er Naresh Kumar, KK Bakshi, Kapil Dev Sharma, Sat Pal Badyal, Yog Raj Sharma, Rajni Khullar, Romesh Gupta, Kousar Parveen, Rajeev Jasrotia, Malhar Singh, Dr Madan Mohan Sharma and Rashpaul Singh.
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