Chandigarh: Private school in soup for hosting coaching classes
Following this alarming discovery, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to the relevant authorities, including CBSE, Chandigarh education secretary and city SSP, requesting that the school’s affiliation be revoked for flouting both CBSE and UT rules
Through an inspection on Tuesday, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) discovered that Stepping Stones Senior Secondary School, Sector 37, has been using its premises for FITJEE coaching classes during school hours in violation of CBSE affiliation regulations.
Following this alarming discovery, the CCPCR has written to the relevant authorities, including CBSE, UT education secretary and city SSP, requesting that the school’s affiliation be revoked for flouting both CBSE and UT rules.
The inspection was conducted following a complaint. According to CCPCR chairperson Shipra Bansal, on reaching the school, they found that a class of the coaching institute was going on during school hours for non-medical students of Classes 11 and 12 .
On questioning the teacher, they learnt he was from FIITJEE institute. Some of the children present in the room class were not even enrolled in the school.
Bansal explained that the school had violated conditions of CBSE’s Affiliation Bye-Laws, 2018, which mandated that a school was to be run as a community service and not as a business, and that commercialisation was not to take place in any manner whatsoever.
She added that they had also violated the rule that dictated that multiple uses of school buildings were allowed for limited purposes of promotion of education and skill development, including vocational education, but the school shall not use its building and infrastructure for any commercial activity.
Rajesh Kumar Gupta, regional officer of CBSE for Chandigarh region, confirmed that holding any commercial or any non-school-related activity during school hours was not allowed. “We have not received the complaint as of now. But we will review it for further action once its submitted,” he added.
Nothing illegal: School
Claiming that there was nothing underhanded in hosting the coaching classes, school director Sunil Kumar said, “FIITJEE has been running this programme throughout the country. It is also advertised as its ‘Pinnacle two-year integrated programme’. In fact, the commission members entered our school without permission and started taking videos without informing us.”
FIITJEE city head Rajpal Singh added that they had the tie-up with the school for around six years now. “It’s all legal and it is better than the alternative of dummy schools, as students can appear for quarterly and half-yearly examinations as well. Students are able to benefit from this as well and we’ve never had any problems regarding this system before.”
CCPCR team alleges harassment by school director
CCPCR members alleged that during the inspection, school director Sunil Kumar hurled abuses and also physically harassed the inspection team. He allegedly grabbed the collar of a commission official and shouted at a female official, before trying to hit her.
“The conduct of the school authorities amounts to a clear obstruction of official duties of the commission, mandated under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005,” they alleged.
A complaint in this regard was filed at the Sector-39 police station, where an FIR has yet to be lodged, pending investigation.
UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said he had spoken to the CCPCR chairperson regarding the incident. “This is highly unfortunate and condemnable. We will take strict action as per law,” he added.
While there have been reports of dummy schools being run in the city in the past, this is the first such instance where a raid was carried out by CCPCR.