School managers close ranks,meet today to discuss new Bill

“Gujarat State School Services Commission Bill 2013,state government norms for number of students per school and maintenance grant to grant-in-aid schools are the main issues on the agenda of the meet. The meet is aimed at discussing these issues and formulating the future strategy of the association,” Makadia further said.

The GSSMA,one of the two associations of managers of around 3,000 semi-government schools in the state,has been up in arms against the state government since 2012 when the state government wrested the power of school managements of recruiting teachers and principals.

The state government had formed a separate body for such recruitments to improve the overall quality of education. However,the association had opposed the move saying it amounted to interference in the affairs of respective school managements. It had moved the court over the issue and the matter is pending before the Supreme Court.

The schools runs by charitable trusts were getting annual maintenance grants according to inflation and dearness levels of 1997 and were grossly insufficient,he said.

“Moreover,the Central government has fixed ratio of eight square feet area per student in classrooms. However,the state government has reduced it to six square feet to cram in more students in each class,” he said.