NEW DELHI: After receiving complaints from parents, Delhi government has decided to take over the management of Swami Sivananda Memorial School situated in Punjabi Bagh.
The parents had complained of school authorities arbitrarily charging extra fees from students.
Besides the fees, the other issue raised by the parents was of students being intentionally failed and coerced to take admission in the same class.
The statement issued by the government said it was a private school, but according to the school, it is a government-aided school built under Section 2 of the Delhi School Education Act.
The school administration stated that they got to know of the government’s decision only through the press.
A press statement issued by the government said, “Considering the complaints of parents, Delhi government constituted an inquiry committee for this matter.
The committee found inadequacies in the functioning of the school and found that the issues raised by parents about the school are true.
Upon presenting the report, the school management was given a chance to defend itself but they were not able to give any reasonable answers about the anomalies in its functioning.” K Ashok Rao, general secretary of Swami Sivananda Memorial Institute, the trust which runs the school, told TOI, “It is through the press I got to know of the takeover.
Their decision had to be conveyed to us first.
Quite an unusual conduct it is.
They issued a notice under Section 20 several months back, which says the takeover of the school.
An inquiry committee was set up in which two members of the managing committee were members.
How can you be a member of the management committee and conduct the inquiry? We gave the reply and after that, we never heard of them.” As it is an aided school, the management committee members are appointed by the government.
Over extra fees, Rao said, “It is absolute nonsense, as parents of the children on their own decided they want to contribute to the value addition being given by the school.
When only 65% of the parents are contributing, how can it be called fees.” Value addition includes providing computers, sporting facilities, medical facilities and others to children.
Rao further said, “We have struggled very hard, got a CSR grant and are constructing a new building with 12 rooms.
We will have modern laboratories and library.
The government has itself not given contingency fund for the last 10 years.
Our director is a well-known educationist, we have a former secretary as member of the trust; we are not a bunch of thieves and crooks.
We are providing children more than what we could.”