Mangaluru : A meeting was held at the Deputy Commissioner office, where the Dakshina Kannada District Level Education Regulating Authority (ERA) headed by DC A B Ibrahim directed all aided/ unaided primary and high schools in the district to put up flex boards containing information about admission before May 8.
Walter D’Mello, Deputy Director, Department of Public Instructions, Dakshina Kannada, during the meeting instructed block education officers to ensure that all district schools display flexes, having details of the fee structure and other information for admission in 2015-16 as instructed by the government, on or before May 8.
This meeting was held after many complaints from the activists that schools, especially private schools had failed to display the details. According to an activist from Shikshana Rakshana Vedike, who raised his voice saying that as per the April 13, 2015, circular of the government schools should display the details on a 6×10 measuring board or flex. It should have details of the 13 subjects listed out by the government, including the registration number of the school with date, the permission obtained for which medium with the date, details regarding the renewal of permission, the fee structure, the qualification and the number of teachers, the calendar of examinations and so on. “We have conducted visits to many schools in the city. None of the schools have put up flex board as mandated in the circular dated February 28, 2015. Deputy director of public instructions (DDPI) and BEOs have failed in implementing the directions of the commissioner,” he said.
Activists complained that officials had failed to check whether all schools had displayed the boards or flexes. A block education officer at the meeting said that since the department staff had to be deputed for SSLC exam work and receiving textbooks for the next academic year, they could not visit schools to verify. D’Mello also said that there was acute shortage of field staff especially in Mangaluru North Block and Mangaluru South Block. In response, DC Ibrahim said that it could not be an excuse for the non-verification of schools. Some activists at the meeting also said that some schools were collecting more fees for application forms and prospectus. In one such case, a school had collected Rs. 200 instead of Rs. 25 that it was authorised to collect.
At the meeting it was told that the last date for the distribution and the submission of applications for admission for 2015-16 would be April 30, 2015. The merit list and the list of rejected candidates would be published on May 5. Objections to the lists could be filed till May 8 and the first list of the selected candidates would be published on May 11. As per the circular, private schools should announce the available seats on March 10. Final admission list will have to be published by private schools on May 25. Schools will have to cough up Rs 25,000 as penalty if they hold entrance test for children or parents. Further, action will also be initiated by the Authority against schools which violate rules related to fees.
Flex board of 4×6 feet should comprise 13 types of information including available seats, number of seats reserved for various categories, medium, admission calendar of events, tuition fee and other information. It was found during the discussion that majority of aided and unaided schools in the district have followed directions with regard to the admission process that commenced March 10. But advocate Dinesh Hegde Ulepady during the meeting said none of the BEOs in the district conducted visits to schools to ensure implementation of directions in the circular. He added that thousands of parents have already paid fees even though schools have not adhered to department directions.
“Private and aided schools run by religious institutions collect excessive amount of fees as parents are reluctant to complain” complained DYFI president Muneer Katipalla during the meeting. DDPI Walter D’Mello said that all anomalies will be set right in the days to come. He directed schools to put up flex as per circular. He also requested people to bring any kind of issues related to violation of rules during admission to the notice of the ERA.
