‘Aided schools can’t afford competence tests’

The recent announcement by education minister Vinod Tawde asking schools to conduct the three annual competence tests on their own has prompted a principals’ association of aided schools to write to the chief minister against burdening the schools from bearing the cost of printing question papers for the tests, as they have no means to foot the bill. The association has also asked the CM to have an independent body to undertake the work of filling student data under the SARAL initiative as it affects the teaching duties of the school staff members.

Speaking about the concerns raised by the Brihan Mumbai Association of Heads of Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools, Uday Nare, a spokesperson of Shikshak Bharati, a statewide organisation of principals and teachers said, “Aided schools are not allowed to collect fees in any form from the students hence it is not possible for them to bear the cost of printing the question papers for the competency test. If the government does not make any arrangements or provision for the same, the principals will be forced to pay for the same from their own pockets and hence they have raised the issue”.

Due to various reasons the state government that has been conducting the competency tests was unable to conduct the second test that was supposed to be held in October. Though it was postponed to December, education minister Mr Tawde announced that the state would not conduct the tests anymore and the schools should do it themselves. However, as this would mean an added financial burden on the schools, the principals of aided schools were prompted to knock the doors of the CM.

“Unlike private unaided schools that can recover the cost of the exams from the students in the form of fees, aided schools are not allowed to collect any amount from students. So if they have to conduct the tests, someone from the school has to bear the cost,” said Mr Nare.