School de-recognised for violating norms

The move will stop state aid to St Mary's High School and may jeopardise the fate of 959 students

School de-recognised for violating norms

The move will stop state aid to St Mary's High School and may jeopardise the fate of 959 students

The education department has de-recognised St Mary's High School (SSC), Mazgaon, for violation of norms, including "fleecing" Rs 1 crore from students under different heads during KG admission. The move will not only stop state aid to the institute but also jeopardise the fate of around 960 students. A derecognition order was sent to the school by the education department on Wednesday, around two months after it was issued a similar letter, withdrawing its affiliation, on March 31.In the notice, the education department has stated the school did not build toilets in each floor of the four-storeyed building where 959 students study, which is a clear violation of norms.

Future tense: The 959 students of St Mary's school, Mazgaon, now
face an uncertain future

The department has also found several other faults with the school's functioning. These are: lack of adequate instruments in the laboratory and lack of adequate number of books in the library, benches are not repaired periodically, lack of proper record books, illegal way of conducting Parents-Teachers' Association elections and collecting money from the association illegally. According to the education department (copy of notice is with MiD DAY), the school had also illegally increased the marks of some students in the academic year of 2008-2009.

Confirming the news
Officials from the administration department of the school, on condition of anonymity, said, "We have received some letters from the education department on Wednesday. We have not opened them yet and have handed them over to the trustees and they will look into the matter." Zoher Yusuf, parent of secondary section of St Mary's School (SSC), said, "Parents were informed by the management about the latest notice sent by the education department. We had a meeting in which it was decided that parents and students should suffer for the mistake made by the school management. Why are the fates of so many students being jeopardised? The school is good and there is not a single complaint from the parents of the current students, then on what basis did the education department de-recognise the school."

Ramesh Mestry, vice-president of the school's Parent-Teachers' Association, said, "We will appeal to the director of school education in Pune. Earlier too we had sent a letter to the deputy director Sunil Chauhan requesting not to derecognise the school. But our pleas fell on deaf ears. We will first seek the stay order on the notice of de-recognition and then will launch a signature campaign and appeal to the chairperson of education department to scrap the order."

Nana Kute Patil, an RTI activist from Buland Chhawa Maratha Yuva Parishad, an NGO, said, "I did follow-up the complaints filed by the other parents, including me, against the school. The education department has de-recognised the school because of the RTI pleas against the school." Despite several attempts Deputy Director of School Education, Sunil Chauhan, could not be contacted for his comments. However, officials from the education department confirmed the news of de-recognition.

The Other Side
"The management of the school is being harassed by vested interests having political connections.u00a0 The harassment unleashed is with a preconceived and pre-calculated motive.u00a0 The SSC Section is aided by the State.u00a0 However, since Academic Year 2004 not a single naya paise has been released by the Education Department towards non-salary grants.u00a0 The entire non-salary expenditure has been borne by the management through its own resources.u00a0 Fr. Baptist, a Jesuit priest and former Principal of St. Xavier's School, Mumbai (for ten years) was transferred by the Society of Jesus to St Mary's High School (SSC) in June 2010. The Education Department refused to grant approval and has kept it pending till today.

The Education Department nominated the seniormost teacher as Acting Principal.u00a0 This was deliberately done with a motive to de-stablise the school. The Education Department, without notice to the School, lodged a complaint with the Economic Offence Wing of the Mumbai Police alleging that the School had illegally collected huge amounts and misappropriated them. The Economic Offence Wing, after detailed investigations, has concluded that the complaint is false and has closed the case.

The Dy Director of Education, however, on the very same charge, with some other frivolous and flimsy grounds and without considering a detailed explanation supported by documentary evidence, has by an ex-parte order dated 24th May, 2011 de-recognised the St Mary's High School (SSC).u00a0 The order has been deliberately passed close to re-opening to jeopardize a recognised, private and minority educational institution of repute.u00a0u00a0
The order is, on the face of it, unsustainable. The management is in the process of preferring an Appeal for recalling the ex-parte order of de-recognition passed by the Dy. Director of Education.