Chandigarh education dept forms panel to probe issue of private school hosting coaching classes

UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said that a committee has been formed to investigate the allegations and they have been asked to submit a report regarding this

A day after the inspection of Stepping Stones Senior Secondary School by the Chandigarh Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR’s) regarding allegations that the school was working with a coaching centre on its premises during school hours, the UT education department has formed a committee to look into the matter.

The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights team raided the Stepping Stones Senior Secondary School in Sector 37 on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said that a committee has been formed to investigate the allegations and they have been asked to submit a report regarding this.

An official of the department explained that the programme is being run all over the country and is also advertised as such. They are looking into the finer legal points regarding the matter about whether this process is allowed or not and what action can be taken.

CBSE also looking into the matter

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) regional officer for the Chandigarh Rajesh Kumar Gupta said that they have received the complaint and forwarded it to the Delhi office. Any action will be taken after getting word from Delhi regarding this.

Meanwhile, CCPCR chairperson Shipra Bansal said she will look at other schools also working along similar lines. “In a recent circular, CBSE has allowed schools to wind up classes by noon so that they can go for coaching as well. But running coaching centres during school hours within the school is not allowed. We will further look into this issue,” she said.

School director Sunil Kumar had maintained that there is nothing illegal about their tie-up with the coaching centre FIITJEE. The coaching institute has tie-ups with several schools across India and parents are also interested in sending their kids for these classes which work on subjective type questions during school hours and objective type competition driven questions afterwards. FIITJEE officials had also said it is legally done and is a much better system for the holistic development of the students as compared to dummy schools.