Joshi feels let down by Sena MLAs

The Shiv Sena-BJP government's volte face over the Pre-Primary Act has tied the hands of Education Minister Sudhir Joshi, who had set out to...

The Shiv Sena-BJP government8217;s volte face over the Pre-Primary Act has tied the hands of Education Minister Sudhir Joshi, who had set out to cleanse the school education system of its corruption and indiscipline. A little over a month ago, two of his reform programmes, admissions to pre-primary classes and centralisation of admission to junior college, fell flat on the floor of the Assembly for lack of support, even from his own party MLAs.

While the Pre-Primary Act is in force, the crucial Section 5 concerning admissions to wards from the respective school8217;s neighbourhood has been suspended. It reserved 80 per cent of the seats for candidates from the neighbouring area whose limit will be decided by the school management and 20 per cent will be at the management8217;s discretion. In the face of opposition, the government offered to amend the ratio to 50:50, but unexpectedly declared the suspension of the concerned section in the Assembly on April 24.

Vigilant but casual about the other malaise in thesystem, Joshi sees section five as a panacea. Listing some other programmes, he insists that the Sena-BJP rule did make a difference when Sudeshna Chatterjee met him recently. Excerpts:

Why was centralisation of admission in junior colleges withdrawn? Could not the state government have waited till the court passed orders on the issue of centralisation of admission in degree colleges ?

Our party MLAs took exception to the centralisation of admissions to standard XI. The measure would have denied them the privilege of recommending candidates for admission. When you do not have support from your own partymen, there was no point in pursuing the matter.

I went ahead with the proposal hoping that I would garner the necessary backing, which was not forthcoming. Its revival, if any, depends on the situation next year.

What are the government8217;s plans on the Pre-school Act ?

We have suspended section five of the Act after school managements, particularly convent schools,strongly protested its provisions. Though other sections will be in force, we will not take any action against any school this year even if there are complaints from the parents. We want to create a conducive atmosphere in which school authorities and the state government amicably settle the Act8217;s disputed section.

The fate of the Pre-Primary Act itself depends on such a dialogue. Section five is the core issue. It is the essential power of the government to ensure some hold over the school. This in turn will help us effectively respond to any complaints and undertake general supervision of educational institutes.

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Regarding the state government8217;s other reform programmes and promises like reducing the burden of school bags, enforcement of proper licence for drivers and better maintained school buses, what has the government done? Also, what happened to the special cells set up to look into complaints against donation demands ?

At the moment, I am concerned about section five. That alone is aneffective panacea for all ills.

In the new academic year, some schools are forcing students to buy books from private publications. Did you receive any complaints?

I have received no complaints. But in any case, I think, here parents should directly haul up their school authorities.

What happened to K J Khilnani school case ? Since the management has lost interest in running the school, will the state government give priority to the school parents-teachers body to manage the school against other interested educational trustees?

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Yes, of course. Since last year, there had been several instances where parents have taken to the streets over indiscriminate fee hikes. Most of these schools are not affiliated to the state board and are therefore brazen over their demands.

Gopi Birla Memorial School has gone on record saying it was not obliged to get a sanction from the state government while the rules say otherwise. Comment.

What can we do? At best, we can cancel theregistration.

Following the example set by governments in Gujarat and Rajasthan, will your government now ban animal dissection in school laboratories? A case in this connection two years ago is pending in the Bombay High Court.

As of now, we have not given the issue any thought.

Given a chance, would you become education minister again ? Has the Sena-BJP government made any difference to the education scene in the state?

I have had my share of achievements and will not mind if given the same portfolio again. Our policies, like free education up to Std X for both sexes, introduction of compulsory courses like Maharashtra Cadet Corp, Moral Education and General Knowledge, have gone down well. Of the 14 military schools that we promised, 11 have already started and three more will come up in the next academic year. While the girl students have a provision of free travel to schools in the state transport buses in rural areas.