Booked, parents now await action against schools

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 28

The schools accusing parents of extortion and criminal conspiracy have been lucky enough to be dealt justice by the police in a matter of 10 days. Unfortunately, hundreds of parents in the district who have been demanding reduction in exorbitant school fees haven’t been so lucky.

Almost a month after a regulatory body was formed in the district to ensure the proper implementation of the Punjab Regulation of Fee of Unaided Educational Institutions Act (2016), a plethora of complaints against schools made by parents in the past month remain pending both with the Divisional Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police. However, the action so far evades parents – with things now getting even more difficult for them as they themselves are facing criminal and non-bailable charges.

While parents have made 11 complaints to the Divisional Commissioner in the past month, the administration has not been able to ensure action in a single case so far, even though the authorities maintain that the process to look into the matter has been initiated.

In addition to this, four complaints made to the Commissioner of Police by parents against schools as well as several complaints made in police stations (division number four, Rama Mandi and more) also yet remain unaddressed.

The complaints made to the police also include a complaint regarding a student slapped by a school teacher causing a swelling in the student’s ear. There have also been complaints where students have been threatened with the denial of roll numbers ahead of their exams for not paying school fees.

Members of the Punjab Parents Association said, “Students being threatened of dire consequences if they fail to pay fees and students not being asked to come to school if they do not pay their fees, all amount to criminal threats. Complaints were lodged in the police stations concerned regarding the matter, but FIRs were never lodged. The hike in annual fee, book pricing and admission charges are also the matters on which complaints have been made to the Divisional Commissioner. It’s been more than a month and we have failed to get justice so far.”

Interestingly, even as inspections and raids on private schools by principals of city schools had also been initiated more than a week ago, the reports of any of these are also yet to be received. Also, the parents haven’t yet heard about the status of the audits which the administration promised to conduct on the erring schools.

Divisional Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary said, “We are looking into the complaints against schools. So far, complaints have been received against nine schools. Since the matter is to be thoroughly investigated, it takes some time. We are expecting the reports regarding these schools to start coming in by Wednesday.”

Speaking on the status of the audits of school finances, the Divisional Commissioner said, “The matter is with the CEO. The investigation into the matter is being conducted and whenever a school is found to be erring, requisite action shall be initiated.” Meanwhile, parents’ associations from Delhi, Panipat and Maharashtra have expressed solidarity with the Punjab Parents’ Association after the arrest of their members.

Admn yet to respond

• Several complaints against schools made by parents in the last month are pending with the Divisional Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police. The administration has not been able to ensure action in a single case so far. However, on complaints by schools, parents were booked on the charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy.
• Also,the protesting parents haven’t yet heard about the status of the audits which the administration promised to conduct on the erring schools. Reports of raids on schools are still to be out. The administration said complaints against schools were being looked into.