'Stage-managing PTA should be made a criminal offence'

On Day One of MiD DAY campaign against irregularities in private schools, parents insist that ensuring democratically elected Parent-Teacher Associations should be first item on agendaIt was more than a decade ago that the state education department issued a government resolution (GR) which made Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) mandatory for all schools. Yet, 11 years down the line, parents say nothing has improved and that private schools in the city, high-profile ones included, continue to flout norms.United face: Parents of schoolkids have formed an association of their own in the alleged absence of democratically functioning PTAs. File picIn some schools, PTA is a non-existent term. In many others, the PTA does exist but parents claim it is a farce.On the first day of the campaign, MiD DAY was flooded with requests to highlight the issue of management of PTAs in private schools, the only body where parents can have their say in the running of the school.At Hume McHenry School in Salisbury Park, parents complained that neither did the school ever call for any parents' meetings, nor did it allow the formation of a PTA.Mukund Nagar resident Nitin Indradhan Dhoka, whose son studies in Std V at Hume McHenry School, said parents got so fed up with the state of affairs that they finally formed an association on their own. We approached parents of another school who were fighting fee hikes and they helped us get together. But so far I haven't heard of the school calling for a PTA meeting or elections, he said.It was a similar situation on the campuses of Sinhagad Springdale School in Narhe, Kondhwa and Vadgaon Budruk. Ranjeet Jadhavrao, whose son is a Std V student of the school's Vadgaon Budruk (hilltop) campus, said parents were fighting for a PTA since a long time. The Vagdaon campus has no PTA. The Kondhwa campus has a PTA, but it is not an elected one; the management has selected people who are sympathising with it or don't protest as representatives, he said. We are never informed of meetings and despite asking to be part of the PTA, we were refused. Khan Sajid Ahmed, whose son and daughter both study in Rosary School, also complained that the PTA was stage-managed. I think stage-managing PTA should be made a criminal offence. For years we have been trying to get elections done but the management refuses to relent. We have also complained to the deputy director of education but he refuses to take action. So we don't know what to do next, he said.Nagesh Sayanna Telangi, whose child studies at Dhankawadi's Priyadarshini School, said that he had had a similar experience. Our school also hasn't conducted elections for PTA. For as long as we can remember, the school has nominated some people on its own and they go for the meetings. The others don't come to know what has happened, he said.What the law saysThe state government has issued two GRs, one in 2000 and the second in 2010, over the formation of PTAs schools. The main points in the GRs are:1) Every parent should be a member of the Parent-Teacher Association 2) Every recognised primary school or secondary school in the state, whether aided or unaided, should form PTA within 30 days of commencement of the new academic year 3) The executive committee of the PTA should be selected democratically within two weeks from the formation of the PTA. Notice of the meeting called for this purpose should be served to all people concerned one week before the meeting day. Elections should be conducted for every division separately4) District education officer/inspector shall ensure that every executive committee of the PTA has been elected democratically 5) Fifty per cent of the seats should be reserved for women6) List of members of the executive committee of the PTA should be exhibited on the school notice board and a copy should be sent to the education officer/inspector7) The tenure of the executive committee shall be one year only. After the completion of their tenure of one year, the same people can not get re-elected for five years Duties of the PTA*u00a0u00a0 To give consent or object to fee hikes*u00a0 To see that the syllabi of all the standards have been completed as per schedule*u00a0 To plan, suggest and help to take the remedial projects organised for the weak students of the schools*u00a0 To approve and help to conduct extra-curricular activities in the schoolThe Other SideSCHOOL managements vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Most insisted that the fault lay with parents.Varsha Deshpande, principal of Priyadarshini School, said the PTA was functioning smoothly. We have elections. In fact, parents are to blame as they don't show interest and don't turn up. Later they complain of irregularities, said Deshpande. Ashwin Kamat, a representative of Rosary School, said that elections were held every year. We have minutes of PTA meetings; those who are complaining must have some hidden agenda, said Kamat. Bakul Bhosale, principal of Hume McHenry School, while agreeing a democratically elected PTA was not there, brushed the issue aside by saying they would get it done this year. If parents want, we will do it. There is no issue with holding PTA elections, he said. A V Deshpande, registrar of Sinhagad Springdale School, claimed ignorance of the subject. I don't know if there is an issue over PTA and, frankly, I don't know what the current procedure we are following is, he said, and disconnected the call. Despite repeated attempts, he didn't take further calls.VoiceI have tried becoming a member of the PTA, but have always been rejected. The members are always selected. I am well aware of the state GR, and when I complained to the school over this issue, my pleas went unheard ufffd Anil Mahajan; parent of Std V student of Sinhagad Springdale, NarheMy children study in Rosary school. We had asked them to form a PTA, but in vain. After that we have complained several times to the deputy director, but have not received any response. They keep on giving excuses ufffd Shahirali Sayyad (Guruwar Peth); parent of Rosary school studentWe have proposed the formation of PTA to the principal, but it has fallen on deaf ears. We have also tried following the issue with authorities, but there is no response regarding this matter ufffd Ganesh Bhimanpalli (Bhawani Peth); parent of Hume McHenry studentFight irreularities in schoolHaveu00a0a problem ufffd illegal fee hikes, RTE violations, lack of facilities ufffd at the private school your child is in? YOU can tell MiD DAY your experience (and send us pictures, videos or documents you might want to share) as we conduct this campaign against irregularities in private schools in association with the PMC's education board and parents' organisations. E-mail address:schoolcampaign.midday@gmail.comCall us on (020) 6701 6026 and ask for our reporters Alifiya Khan or Debarati Palit