Private School threatened to go on hunger strike on October 22 if their demands were not met by the state government. The association will intensify the stir and take to streets if the government failed to pay heed to their demands, said association officials.
“Private school owners are facing a lot of challenges due to corona lockdown and other restrictions but the government is not paying heed to their issues,” said Ajit Singh, state president of the Private Schools Association.
The association members will first go on hunger strike on October 22 across the state and still if the government does not listen to our demands then we will be forced to take to streets and protest against the government at tehsil and block level, he added.
Informing the media about their demands, Singh said that the state government hasn’t released their funds related to Right to Education since 2011. It should be released immediately. The affiliation inspection of schools with MP Board should be done every five years instead of making it an annual event.
“Government has unlocked almost all operations barring schools. The authorities should also allow schools to reopen with standard operating procedures for coronavirus,” said president of the association.
In one of the most important demands, the private school association said that the government should waive off taxes on schools in the manner it did for liquor shops and bus operators. “Our electricity bills, property tax and water bills should be waived off for the period of lockdown. Many private schools have taken loans, their installments should be deferred and interest be waived off,’ asserted the association members.
The Private School Association is a body of private schools recognized by the MP Board of education. There are around 45,000 schools across the state including 1800 in Bhopal.
Earlier, Association of Unaided Private Schools had also expressed reservations on state government’s decision on not opening private schools from October 15 despite the centre's decision. Association of Unaided Private Schools comprises schools affiliated to the CBSE and ICSE education boards.
