High Court Rebukes Education Dept. Official Over Transformer Incident

Chhattisgarh High Court today expressed dissatisfaction over the affidavit submitted by the Joint Secretary of Education Department in the RTE (Right to Education) case. The High Court has expressed serious displeasure over the operation of many recognized schools across the state as well as the safety of students. During the hearing, the double bench of Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bidhi Guru has strongly reprimanded the school children for installing generators, plaster falling during class, safety of school children and facilities in the school.

Know what is the matter?

Actually, many private schools in the state are providing education from nursery to class 8 without any recognition. Vikas Tiwari has filed a PIL regarding this matter. The petition was filed against those schools which did not give admission to poor children under the RTE Act, while according to the rules they were bound to do so. The allegation is that these schools are running without recognition and are charging arbitrary fees by ignoring the rules even after taking government subsidy.

Who will be responsible if an accident happens? : High Court
The Joint Secretary of the Education Department was asked to state in his affidavit in the next hearing what action has been taken against nursery schools operating without recognition in the state. The court asked the government that schools are running without recognition in small rooms, who will be responsible if any major accident happens? The case was heard in a double bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Bidi Guru. The next hearing of this case will be on 17 September.

In the last hearing in the case, the High Court had commented that millionaires are running unrecognized schools in every street like paan shops. The court had sought a reply in this matter. During the hearing, the High Court sought a reply from the Education Department on this serious negligence and asked why no concrete action has been taken against such school operators till now?

Clarification has to be given by 17 September
The division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha directed the state government and the Education Secretary to clarify through an affidavit by 17 September what steps have been taken so far in this entire matter. The court has also said that under the Right to Education, it is the constitutional responsibility of every state to provide free and compulsory education to children between the ages of 6 and 14.

During the hearing on the plight of schools across the state, the matter of irregularities in the repair of a government school also came to light. Similarly, news of the plaster of the ceiling falling in a school in Mungeli district came to light, on which the court took the DEO Mungeli to task. During the hearing, the court said, what does the Mungeli DEO keep doing? Should only the court see all this? This is not our job.

Help taken from school students in getting the transfer done

During the hearing of the case, Chana Dongri School of Takhatpur was mentioned, where children were helping the electricity workers in removing and installing transformers. The Chief Justice also questioned this. A reply has been sought from the School Education Secretary on all these issues on a new affidavit.