Teachers’ front flays political nominations in school management committees

The Punjab Government had issued a notification on April 26 ordering the politically elected representative of the area or a member nominated by him, to be a part of the school management committee of government schools. Now the state teacher’s body, Democratic Teachers’ Front, has objected to political nomination in school managements.

Ashwani Awasthi, state finance secretary of the DTF and district unit head, said under Section 21 of the Right to Education Act, apart from parents, only an elected member of the local authority (gram panchayat) can become a member of the school management committee.

“Thus, according to the new notification, with the aim of increasing political interference, the government has created an obstacle for the elected member of the local authority (panchayat) to become a member of the school committee and has given the right to the elected representative of the area to interfere in the work of the school himself or through his nominated person. Even if that person is not even a resident of the village or city in which the school is located,” he said.

The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), Punjab, has strongly condemned the decision, terming it as a violation of the Right to Education Act as well as direct political interference in a sensitive sector like education and demanded its withdrawal.

DTF state president Vikramdev Singh said under Section 21 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, provision has been made for School Management Committees to look after the management of schools. “The local authority (Panchayat/MC) has been deprived of this right by using the word representative of the area, which can be anyone, even political elected representative. Now the government is moving towards making political interference in schools a permanent foothold through School Management Committees,” said Dev.

They asserted that this is being done at the behest of the Delhi AAP leadership.

“There is a possibility of schools becoming arenas for political partisanship,” added Dev.

The DTF members urged the Punjab Government and demanded that only parents, students, local authorities and teachers should be made members of the school committee in strict compliance with the Right to Education Act.