TEAM HERALD
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
CANACONA: Undeterred by directives from the education department, parents of those students studying in Shri Shradhanand Vidyalaya in Poinguinim have criticised the “various tactics” being used to re-admit a girl at the school.
PTA Chairman Anil Naik handed over a memorandum signed by the aggrieved parents to Canacona ADEI Babaji Kothulkar in the presence of other PTA members and over 50 parents of Std 5 students of the Poinguinim school.
The memorandum, a copy of which has also been addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, the education secretary and director of education, has stated that the girl should not be re-admitted without the services of a trained tutor, one-assistant/helper and other infrastructural facilities, in the best interest of the girl-child and of all other students in Std 5.
The PTA chairman also accused the education secretary of siding with the girl’s mother and also hit out at the mother for using “various tactics to re-admit her daughter by pressurizing the school and government authorities.”
“During the hearings on November 23 and November 30, 2012, the education secretary tried to take the side of the complainant and used harsh language against us,” stated Naik in the representation.
Later speaking to reporters outside the ADEI office, some parents threatened to withdraw their children from the school and to admit them elsewhere, if authorities forcefully get the girl re-admitted to the class.
“We certainly cannot allow any threat to our children and their studies. Any arbitrary decision by authorities will force us to take some unpleasant decisions for the sake of our children,” warned PTA Executive Member Satish Painguinkar.
