After the private hospitals, West Bengal Chief Minister Chief Minister on Wednesday, May 31, took on the private schools of Kolkata, asking why they were charging exorbitant sums for providing education.
Speaking at a meeting with the authorities of various private schools in the city, including a number of reputed ones, Banerjee said a self-regulatory committee would be formed featuring representatives from private schools besides government officials. This is the first time that the private schools of the state have been brought under a check.
The chief minister has recently set up a clinical regulatory commission to keep a watch on private hospitals and medical institutions against which a lot of complaints are being made. The state government took up the matter following clashes in private hospitals between aggrieved families of patients and the doctors and institution authorities over complaints of faulty treatment and generation of excessive bills.
"Middlemen might be misusing the system; take action against them"
Banerjee took on one school after another asking them why they were charging so much money. Specially while speaking to the representative of the reputed La Martiniere school, Banerjee said: "You are charging the most. Your school's fees are Rs 2 lakh 47 thousand. Why are you taking so much money? Baap re Baap!"
When the representative tried to defend saying they don't take donations, Banerjee said the government has documents to prove it and also police cases have been made. She said there are middlemen who are charging money and misusing the system and asked the school to take strict steps against them. The audience applauded the chief minister's words.
Banerjee told the representative of the Heritage School: "You give good education. But it is important to look after the donation aspects. If you are seeking money everyday, for school fest today and birthday tomorrow, where will the parents get so much from?"
She also asked the authorities of St Xaviers University whether they were asking Rs 5 lakh. "Rs 5 lakh for education?" Banerjee said, visibly surprised.
Banerjee criticises a CBSE school for telecasting political speeches
The chief minister was particularly critical about Sri Shikshayatan School. She asked the representative of the school whether the authorities telecast speeches made by political leaders in classes.
Reports said since the school is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), a number of central events are observed in the school and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches were telecast in the school on the occasion of Teacher's Day for the last two years. She said making students hear political speeches is not the right thing to do. "I would have been disappointed had you telecast my speech as well," Banerjee said, asking the representative to inform the school's principal about it.
The school's representative tried to defend saying nothing of that sort was happening, Banerjee said they have come to know about it through students and also learnt that a section of the school's teachers is also not happy with it, apart from the guardians.
Author's take:
Mamata Banerjee has emerged as an adminitrator. She has struck the right chord by raising issues that the common man finds very relevant but is often left helpless because it involves the future of their children.
The chief minister showed her human side by taking on the shameless commercialisation of key services like education and health. It will boost her electoral prospects in the urban centres but more than that, Banerjee proved that despite the criticism she faces, she is yet one of those rare mass leaders who know the pulse of the common people more than anybody else. Many guardians congratulated Banerjee for speaking out their feelings after she took on the schools and this is quite a feat for Banerjee as an administrator.
