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| Education Minister's campaign to fleece poor students reaches Srinagar | | | Peerzada Ummer
Early Times report
SRINAGAR, June 10: Education Minister Syed Naeem Akhtar Andrabi is coming under severe attack from different quarters in Kashmir for compelling students in government schools to donate Rs 1000 each for flood-hit schools or face action.
Reports pouring from different districts of the Valley say that students of government schools have been compelled by the school authorities to donate money for rebuilding the flood-hit schools. This is despite the fact that the students studying in these government schools belong to poor families.
The campaign to fleece the students has now reached this summer capital of the state. Many parents told Early Times that they have sent their wards to the government schools because they could not afford the fee charged by private institutions.
"Our house and shop got damaged in the September floods. How can we pay Rs 1000 as donation when we ourselves are living in a rented accommodation," an aggrieved man said.
Principal of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, KothiBagh, Srinagar, Fatima Shaheen Tak, has been quoted by some dailies in Srinagar saying that the donation campaign has been taken on the orders of Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar.
"The minister has directed all institutes to collect Rs 1000 from students so that the flood-inundated schools would be renovated as soon as possible. The minister is eager to collect the funds. He keeps me asking its status," the Principal said.
Ironically, the government instead of trying to mitigate the sufferings of the students hailing from the poor families is punishing them for studying in the government schools.
Private secretary of Naeem Akhtar said the minister has clarified that the students can contribute willingly and there is no coercion. But the clarification makes no sense as the people are question the need for launching the donation campaign in the first place.
"If each student has to contribute Rs 1000 as flood donation, please tell us what are the funds which government claims to be spending on the schools meant for?. This is bizarre, unnatural, and reveals the malfunctioning of the government schools," another parent said.
Meanwhile, the social media also remained abuzz on Wednesday with the netizens ridiculing the Education Minister for "minting money from poor students."
"Naeem Akhter, what an idea Sir ji. This man has such a novel idea of rehabilitation and rebuilding flood affected, force the students to pay donations and later distribute the same amount with fanfare in presence of always loyal media men," reads the status of a Facebook user.
Last month, Early Times carried a detailed report about the Education Minister's order to students to pay money as flood donation. Students of Government Boys Higher Secondary School Bijbehara had in the report carried on May 16 said that they have paid Rs 500. "All students were asked to pay Rs 500 and those who did not pay were not in allowed to sit in the classes," one of the students had said.
Chief Education Officer Anantnag, Mushtaq Ahmad Salroo had said that he had only passed the directions of Education Minister to concerned school principals. |
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