Srinagar, Nov 13: Describing Fee Fixation Committee as “NIA”, Private School Association Chairman, G M Var, on Tuesday said that private schools are being “targeted unnecessarily” in the name of selling books.
Addressing a press conference here, Var said, “Revenue authorities, Legal Metrology Department, Directorate of School Education, Fee Fixation Committee, district administration and everybody who wields some sort of power are swooping down on small private schools to harass them.”
Var said while local private schools were being “harassed” and “even forced to shut down”, “attempts are being made to bring in Jawahar Navodya Vidyalas and Kendriya Vidyalas in every district and block”.
“The officials are meeting day in and out to identify land and provide them facilities to set up schools in Kashmir,” he said.
“They are being encouraged, while locals are being discouraged. It seems to be an attempt to hijacking the entire education sector and put them in the hands of outsiders.”
About the complaints of schools selling books at higher rates, he said the PSAJK has already issued circular directing them to make books available at multiple places.
“If private schools are abiding by the norms, why don’t our bureaucrats and government officials enroll their children in government schools?”
Targeting the Missionary schools, Var said that all Missionary schools used to force parents to buy books and other stationary items from schools even before but government did not took action.
“This has been their practice for more than 20 years, yet they were never raided. It was only when the admission time in local private schools came, the government suddenly woke up,” said Var.
Terming the situation “extremely hostile”, he said the association was planning a major conference of schools on November 20.
“If the situation doesn’t improve, the association will announce a future course of action, which may even be a drastic one,” he said.
