Security in schools: ‘withdraw notices served to headmasters, principals’

Schools threatened of withdrawing recognition: former MLC

The Gulbarga District Aided Schools and Colleges Employees Federation has taken exception to the notice served to head masters and principals of aided and unaided schools by the Education Department threatening to withdraw the recognition granted to their schools if the authorities failed to take security measures recommended by the State government.

They include installation of closed circuit television cameras, construction of separate toilets and setting up of parents and guardians committee.

Honorary president of the federation and the former MLC Shashil G. Namoshi told presspersons here on Friday that it was a direct threat to the teachers that their grant in salary would be withdrawn if the security measures as suggested by the government were not put in place.

Mr. Namoshi said that the installation of CCTV cameras or construction of separate toilets for boys and girls and setting up of parent and guardian committees in schools was not the job of the teachers. The Education Department, instead of issuing notices to headmasters and principals, should have served this notice to the managements.

He said that the grant-in-aid and recognition to the school was granted based on the number of years the schools were functioning and the quality of education. Installation of CCTV cameras and other security issues were not the criteria for granting recognition or extending grant-in-aid to schools.

Mr. Namoshi demanded that the government withdraw these notices and initiate steps to provide funds for installation of CCTV cameras and construction of separate toilets in schools.

The notice issued by the department said that schools under the grant-in-aid scheme had given in writing that they would abide by the conditions imposed by the government for installing CCTV cameras and other security measures.

Based on this written assurance by the schools, the grant in aid was released for November and December 2014.

However, most of the schools had not stood by their promise and had not submitted the compliance report. The notice said that the grant-in-aid for January had been withheld for schools which had not submitted the compliance report.

The recognition granted to the unaided schools which had not submitted the compliance report would be withdrawn.

Installation of closed circuit television cameras is one of the steps recommended by the govt.

Grant-in-aid has been withheld for schools which have not submitted compliance report