‘Tiff between Admn and St John’s embarasses students’

“If there is any dispute among the school authorities and the UT Administration,it should be discussed rather than making it a public issue. If required,we will go to the Chandigarh Governor and the Prime Minister with regard to this matter,” said Vardaan.

A representation against the interference of the UT Education department officials into school matters has been submitted to the Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj V Patil by Sarto D’Souza,Congregation of Christian Brothers in India,Brother Superior,St John’s High School on Monday.

The representation mentioned the interference by the Home Secretary-cum-Education Secretary,Chandigarh Administration and the District Education Officer in the internal functioning and administration of a minority,unaided educational institution. Citing the interference of the officials,the representation was based on several points.

Some of these included,the SDM inquiry ordered by the Home Secretary in an incident of alleged corporal punishment by the Art teacher of the school within less than 24 hours,without giving the school an opportunity of conducting its own inquiry (despite the school initiating an inquiry of its own). Whereas,in a similar incident in a government school no SDM inquiry was ordered nor any threats made of criminal proceedings being initiated. The inaction of the District Education Officer regarding the actual complaints made against the Art teacher,Michaelangelo Francis.

Non-diarying of letters sent by the school,thus deliberately creating a false impression that the school was not responding to notices from the Education Department. The copy of the representation has also been marked to the Minister for Home Affairs P Chidambram,and

Minister for Human Resource Development,Kapil Sibal.