ITANAGAR, 18 Feb: A total of 35 schools in the Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) have been issued show-cause notices and served a penalty of Rs 1 lakh each for running the schools without proper registration.
This was informed by the ICR DDSE and nodal officer of midday meal (MDM) programme to the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) when the former was summoned by the latter to its office on Tuesday for providing the details of registered and unregistered schools in the ICR, the status of MDM implementation, and constitution of Prahari Clubs in educational institutes, among other things.
The APSCPCR expressed deep concern over the mushrooming of unregulated schools in the ICR “without adequate infrastructure and adherence to guidelines by compromising the quality of education and safety of children.” It further observed that “due caution should be exerted while registering new schools to avoid unfit locations in vicinity of wine shops, unsafe areas and adjacent to already existing schools, etc.”
The commission also expressed displeasure over “tokenistic Prahari Clubs constituted in the schools in the ICR, as per a report submitted by the DDSE.” It observed that despite the constitution of Prahari Clubs in schools, these clubs exist only on paper, “without any genuine understanding or implementation of their objectives, since the report mentioned existence of such clubs even in primary schools, special schools, and rehabilitation centres for children with special needs.”
While expressing deep concern over “the increasing rate of children in the state consuming tobacco and tobacco products like cigarettes, gutkha, khaini, besides substance abuse and alcohol etc,” the commission had last year written to the Education Department to ensure early constitution and operation of Prahari Clubs in all educational institutes in the state that have secondary and senior secondary classes, it’s member secretary Khoda Rakhi said.
The commission also directed the DDSE to ensure mandatory constitution of anti-ragging committee and appointment of special educators in all CBSE affiliated schools as per the direction of the CBSE.
Earlier, on 14 February, APSCPCR Chairperson Ratan Anya convened an interactive meeting with parents and guardians of children with special needs (CWSN) at the commission’s office to discuss and assess various issues related to CWSNs in the state.
During the interaction, the parents informed the commission about the lack of basic provisions for health and education needs of the CWSNs in the state. Many private rehabilitation centres are found to be running without any government aid. The limited therapies provided in the private rehabilitation centres in the state capital are highly expensive and inaccessible for the poor families, the parents and guardians informed.
Also, there are no dedicated schools in the state for CWSNs, or a composite regional centre for skill development, rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities in the state. The lone state government-aided Donyi Polo Mission School for the Hearing and Visually Impaired, Itanagar, is running with limited intake capacity and pertains to only two categories of disability, the parents said.
The parents further highlighted the need for proper regulation of therapy centres by the nodal department to ensure that the quality of service provided for CWSNs is not compromised.
