Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 12
The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), a national federation of associations of budget private schools, observed black day across the state today in protest of increasing government interference in their day-to-day management.
Teachers and other staff members of the schools associated with the NISA performed duties wearing black ribbons. Black flags were put on school buildings and vans.
Kulbhushan Sharma, national president of the NISA, said, “Thousands of schools have closed down across the country and those running are under immense stress due to excessive interference by the government. School managements, principals and teachers are being treated as criminals”.
Sharma accused the government of lacking vision and coordination. He said the schools had received safety guidelines from the CBSE, court, state Education Department and the police and all these are different. The NISA was faster than all government bodies to act promptly following the death of a student in Ryan International School in Gurugram and issued an advisory to all member schools to ensure safety and security of students, staff, school premises and vehicles.
Dr Amit Chandra, national coordinator of the NISA, said, “The widely celebrated Right to Education Act of 2009, even with its all good intention, is a divisive instrument. It has led to conflicts among schools, parents, media and civil society groups instead of bringing them together to providing quality education to all. The latest edition to the government control over education is through regulation of fee charged by private schools”.
Sharma said the NISA and all its member associations had sent a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to draw his attention to necessary reforms of the education system.
Memorandum submitted to Tehsildar
Ambala: NISA president Kulbhushan Sharma and other representatives of the federation submitted a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendera Modi to the Tehsildar in Ambala City on Thursday.Sharma said:“The teaching and non-teaching staff of nearly 60,000 schools across the country observed black day and wore black ribbons. The government is preparing a policy to shut down private schools. We have been providing better education to children than government schools. There seems to be a conspiracy against unaided private schools and are being targeted”.
