Delhi govt soft on schools flouting norms TIMES OF INDIA -15 JAN2011
RTI Reply Shows Most Schools Did Not Even Reply To Show-Cause Notices In 2009
Manash Pratim Gohain TNN
New Delhi: Despite a number of complaints over their alleged violation of admission norms, it seems most schools usually have their way. According to information revealed in response to RTI applications, the Directorate of Education (DoE) let off schools without any penalty last year even though numerous complaints were filed against them. This year too, DoE has received many complaints of irregularities in nursery admission but it is unlikely to change anything.
Last year in most cases schools did not even reply to the show cause notices. Even after education minister Arvinder Singh Lovely claimed in the last week of January that parents' qualification and occupation was not a criteria for admission, schools blatantly violated the norms. But no action was taken against them.
The replies to RTI pleas, copies of which are with the Times of India, also revealed DoE did not follow its own procedures and on many occasions its officials never bothered to file weekly summary reports at various districts zones from December 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010. In December 2009, DoE had made it mandatory to create a weekly summary report of admissions.
Activist Mohit Goel, who had filed the RTI applications, said: "After suffering due to violations of norms during the admission process, I filed the RTI applications to know what really happened to the complaints we lodged so earnestly, hoping some action would be taken. The minister and DoE officials gave statements to the media that action would be taken against violators and show cause notices were being issued. This gave me hope. But now I know that all these are publicity stunts and just a way to fool public."
According to an RTI reply from the office of the deputy director, DoE (south district), it received 70 complaints. On the basis of complaints, 23 schools were issued memorandum and 25 were asked to change admission criteria. But still after the notices, four schools continued with the violations. Also, of the 23 schools only one was inspected by DoE officials. The school had deviated from the prescribed norms. But, according to the RTI reply, no school was derecognized or paid any penalty.
Situation was no better in west district. Despite three complaints at this office, no show cause notice was issued. The reply also stated the office had not submitted any summary report to DoE's main office.
In southwest district, 24 complaints were received. But seven months after the admission process got over, the department was still processing the complaints. Here too, no summary report was filed on the admissions.
In northwest district, the local DoE office is still waiting for a reply from the school which had flouted admission norms. The RTI replies reveal such is the affair at local DoE offices that the education officer in Mongolpuri doesn't even know parents' qualification is no longer an admission criteria.
"It's shocking that months later, DoE is still waiting to hear back from many schools after it issued show cause notice to them. And yet there is no talk of any action," said Goel.
Despite repeated attempts neither Lovely nor the DoE director, P Krishnamurthy, was available for comments.
manash.gohain@timesgroup.com
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