Jharkhand Christian schools targeted

The Supreme Court has allowed certain privileges to Christian minority schools in implementing the RTE.

file photo.

Dhanbad:  Officials of Christian schools in Jharkhand's Dhanbad say district officials accused them for faulting rules of Right to Education (RTE) Act, and threatened action without considering their rights as minority institutions.

As many as 48 principals from higher secondary schools in the district, including catholic schools, were summoned on Wednesday to the meeting at the deputy commissioner's office by Dhanbad superintendent of education (DSE) Bankey Behari.

But representative of De Nobili group of schools Father Gerald D'Souza and Margaret Mary principal of Carmel School in Dhanbad alleged the officials singled them out and targeted them, accusing them of faulting in the implementaion of the RTE.

"The DSE asked me to leave the hall as I am not a principal but a representative of the eight De Nobili schools. I was called rule flouter by Manoj Mishra, secretary of Jharkhand Abhibhavak Manch," D'Souza said.

Dhanbad's additional collector B.P.L. Das chaired the meeting that was attended by Behari and members of Jharkhand Abhibhavak Manch.

Das asked all schools to abide by the RTE Act and submit action-taken reports furnishing all information by March 31. He gave schools time to implement all rules till April 15 and warned of action in case of any complaint.

Sister Margaret Mary said the Supreme Court has allowed certain privileges to Christian minority schools in implementing the RTE, which aims to help government to provide free education all children.

"We (Christian minority institutions) cannot be forced to abide by rules blindly," she said.

Refuting the allegations, additional collector Das said: "No one was insulted. We only asked all the schools to adhere to the RTE Act," the Telegraph reported.