Gujarat to cut grants to protesting schools

When contacted, Education Minister Anandiben Patel said the government could not permit bandhs “as it is against moral values”. She also charged the Christians of not negotiating with her or informing her about the closure of schools. The best thing, she said, would have been for the community to hold negotiations with the State government and then stage their protest.

Going on strike, the minister said, wouldgive set a precedent for any management wanting to pressurise the State government to give a strike call.

The State government has decided to deduct the salaries of the teachers. “If that was not done in the past, we will set an example for others,” she said.

Reacting to the news, Father Fernand Durai, Principal, Loyola Hall, Ahmedabad, said all schools have a minimum number of working days which is submitted to the district education officer. The schools run by the Christians, he added, were in no way falling short of the required number of working days.

Father Durai said that even though all St Xavier’s schools throughout the world were closed on Thursday due to the feast of St Francis Xavier, the schools in Gujarat were kept open to compensate for the loss of teaching on Friday.

He said if the number of working days falls short of the requisite figure, principals would have the discretion to make up for the loss. In this case, the Christmas holidays or the summer vacations would be shortened, headded.

Fr Stephen, principal of Vadodara’s Basil School, said though the school was not being officially represented in the rally, it would be closed tomorrow. There would be no loss of working days, he added, because the teachers were sacficing a day’s vacation over Christmas.