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Journalism of Courage
SURAT, March 30: The controversial State government order giving powers to trustees of non-government aided schools to decide fee structure and teachers8217; salary seems to have found no takers.
And even as the High Court has stayed the decision, Dakshin Gujarat Adivasi Bachao Samiti has decided to launch an agitation to force the State government to withdraw its order. The decision was taken by the Samiti at its meeting held at Madvi on Sunday.
As per the government8217;s orders, there would be no auditing of such schools, which were also exempted from filling mandatory SC/ST quota while recruiting teaching and non-teaching staff.
The schools had also been directed to collect fees from girls as well. And with the government order coming in force, free education facilities for girls studying in 451 such schools in the district would have be withdrawn. According to District Education Officer Natwarsinh Parmar, the non-government schools were made completely 8220;autonomous8221; and there was no need for auditing such schools which were not getting government aid.
Parmar justifying the government order, said, 8220;How will the management pay teachers8217; salary if they do not collect fees from girls.8221;
But Praful Chaudhary, president of the Adivasi Bachao Samiti, claimed, 8220;It will adversely affect girls8217; education. If the management of such schools are given a free hand, poor tribals who cannot afford to pay high fees would not send their girls to schools.8221;
He told Express Newsline that the Samiti would hold meetings at taluka level before holding a massive rally in Gandhinagar to protest against the directive. Next meeting of Samiti will be held at Songadh on April 14.
8220;In response to a Public Interest Litigation filed by an Ahmedabad-based organisation, Council for Social Justice, the High Court had stayed the order. But we want the government to withdraw the order and we will force it to do so,8221; said Chaudhary.
A tribal activist, requesting anonymity, held the government guilty of violating directive principles of State which said that every child under 14 years of age would be given free education.
According to him, the government order fitted well in the scheme of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which planed to set up 200-odd schools in tribal areas in the country to counter the missionaries. It was the VHP which did not want their expenditure to be audited, he alleged.
