Memorandum submitted to the CM

13.02.2012

MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED

TO DR. J. JAYALALITHA

THE HON’BLE CHIEF MINISTER OF TAMIL NADU

(Submitted through the District Collector, Coimbatore)

Respected and Hon’ble Madam,

       We seek your kind and urgent intervention in the matter of refusal/resistance of Private schools to adhere to Government laws in respect of school fees, syllabus and campus requirements.

        Parents Associations of a number of schools have made representations to your good self as well as to various other authorities in the State seeking redressal over the above issues.  Some of the latest memorandums/representations are enclosed for ready reference.

      The core issues in these memorandums are sought to be submitted before the Government through this memorandum for positive directions to the concerned.

Fee related issues:

      It was fondly hoped that after enactment of the Private School Fees determination Act by the Legislative Assembly in 2009, there would be a respite in respect of heavy fees demanded by the Private Schools. 

       However, the proceedings before the committee leading to and subsequent to the exit of Justice Govindarajan, have been shrouded in mystery. The announcement of Justice Ravirajapandian before the media that he had recommended a hike of 15 to 30% in his decision in appeal while actually recommending upto 300% hike in respect of a select few schools and his demitting office on the very day of tabling his report, have created doubts regarding the yardstick used by the Committee in the appellate proceedings.

    The appeals of the parents and their complaints regarding excess fees collection by the schools are also pending before the committee.

                  In this situation, several schools have started pressurizing the parents to part with fees in excess of the one recommended by the Committee for the said schools.  Some of the methods are as follows:

(i)               without proper receipt in the name of school as reported by Alvernia matriculation School Parents (or)

(ii)              In the name of excess Book fees or Registration fees not approved by law as reported by the parents of SBOA, Coimbatore (or)

(iii)            In the name of Smart Class or some other activities without the consent of the Parents Associations, as reported by the Parents of Chinmaya Vidhyalayas of R.S.Puram and Vadavalli, Gopal Naidu School, Chandra School, Lisuex School, etc.

To force the parents to pay the excess fees, children are discriminated against in various methods.  Some schools are threatening children that they will not be permitted to get the hall tickets for Public Exams if the fees as demanded by the schools are not paid.

          These tactics of the school managements are vitiating the campus atmosphere in the schools.  Children who are of a fragile age group and the teachers who are at the mercy of the school managements and are therefore forced to carry out the orders of the management to intimidate students, suffer mental torture.

Further, in spite of the Order of the Hon’ble High Court of Madras, most of the schools in the city which had collected higher fees to that of the determined fees during 2010-11 are yet to refund the same or adjust the same in the current year’s fees.  This issue, as well as the School’s failure to adher to a written agreement signed in the presence of District/Police/Education department officials have been elaborated in the memorandum by SBOA Parents.

Academic issues:

Many schools are conducting their own syllabus, in spite of the introduction of the Uniform Syllabus, by either having their own books or by forcing upon the children to adopt additional books to the ones prescribed.  This adds to the pressure of learning on the children.  Instances have been reported where even the question papers of certain schools had contained blatant politics, thus evidencing complete lack of control over the private schools by Government authorities.

Infrastructural issues:

          Most of the schools are wanting in infrastructural requirements, in spite of stipulations in the Recognition letter issued to each.  Classes upto 3^rd standard are not maintained in the ground floor.  There is inadequacy of toilet facilities.  Drinking water provisions are not made available to the required extent.  Play ground facilities are found wanting.

          The physical and psychological health of students are dependent upon these basic requirements and the Government has been consistently issuing instructions on the said issue.  It was heartening to note that even in the last Conference of the Chief Minister for District Collectors and Commissioners of Police, the Hon’ble Chief Minister had instructed the administration to ensure the safety and health of students all over the state.

     But far from this, even the campus atmosphere in many of the private schools is deteriorating due to non-availability of free access into the premises for Government officials and parents and due to non availability of democratic PTA.  In most of the cases there is not even a ‘management appointed’ PTA.

The communication gap between the parents and teachers has been proving to be detrimental to the health of the children.  Repeated emphasis of fulfillment of this basic requirement is stone walled with stiff resistance on grounds that democratic methods will not serve the institution well.   When universal adult franchise has been able to administer even a large and complex country like ours, schools cannot shy away from allowing a platform for the teachers and parents to collectively give their opinions and to understand issues in a proper perspective.

The schools run by Trusts and enjoying benefits from the Government should not be stone walling participation by Parents and Teachers in the running of the institution.

Since the children are the very essence of life for the parents, when they are being threatened and subjected to ill-treatment at Schools, and there is no avenue in the school to get the grievance redressed, the Parents have no other alternative but to seek the intervention of the Government.

Hence, we humbly plead that to put an end to the above said pressing problems, the following measures may kindly be ordered immediately:

i)                 That all schools be instructed to collect only the fees prescribed by the Fee Determination Committee and wherever disputes have been registered by Parents, to await the decision of the Committee;

ii)               That the Committee to decide on the appeals and complaints on a priority basis and after hearing both parties issue orders at the earliest;

iii)              That the Fees Determination Committee release the yardstick adopted in deciding appeals wherever the fees was enhanced beyond 30% from that of the recommendation at the first/initial stage;

iv)              Since the Matriculation Board is seen to be far ill-equipped to preside over so many private schools (in Coimbatore district alone there are more than 350 private schools) the Board for matriculation be disbanded and administration of these schools brought under a replenished Board meant for all  schools in the state;

v)                That Recognition of Rules of Schools be subjected to mandatory formation of PTAs in each school in a democratic manner in the presence of Education Department authorities;

vi)              All the Government authorities concerned may be instructed to look into on an emergency basis, infrastructure-deficiencies of schools and non-adherence to Government laws/instructions and regarding the safety and hygiene of children in the campuses and also to verify the accounts and records of each school to ensure that they have not collected fees in excess of the stipulation by the Committee; and

vii)            That either the District Collectors should order an open RDO enquiry on grounds of extortion and child abuse against the Correspondent of every school where demand for excess fees is reported (or) alternatively to have a special cell in Police headquarters under the direct charge of the Commissioner of Police for the above said cases, as in the case of land grabbing cases because, these cases involving children is equally, if not more, notorious.

Further, as legislative measures, the following suggestions are also humbly placed before the Government for its consideration in the interest of long term benefit of the student community of the state:

·        In the long run, in the light of the Constitutional Fundamental Right to free and compulsory education to all children from the age of 6 to 14, it is expected that all private schools will have to be taken over by the State.  However, as of now, those schools which refuse to adher to Government laws and regulations could at least be  considered to be taken over by the state.

·        Introduction of ‘English Medium’ of instructions in Government schools and starting of LKG and UKG in Government schools to make switching over possible from private to Government schools.

·        Adoption of three-language formula in all schools to enable national integration from the point of schooling

When the issue of hefty fee hike had caught fire at Coimbatore in the summer of 2009, the Government authorities, though were lacking in provisions of law to intervene, appeared at least to be sympathetic towards the plight of the parents.  But now, after a law has been enacted (with the active support of all parties in the Legislative Assembly) and upheld by the highest Court of the land, when the situation has re-emerged, it is strange that Government officials at various levels feign helplessness to intervene.

On the other hand, it is reported that most of the managements who are demanding higher fees than determined, are reported to be stating that no protests can affect them because ‘they have managed those who matter’.  If this rot is left unchecked and unchallenged at the root, the society is bound to suffer.  Good citizens cannot be expected to emerge out of a corrupt system.

We therefore humbly pray to your good self, to kindly intervene in the matter and issue urgent necessary instructions to the concerned.

Yours truly,

         (R.Manimohan)                                                 (V. Deivendran)

          Chairman, SWAP                                             Convenor, SWAP

 Encl: Memorandums of Parents Associations of schools in Coimbatore.