28/08/2015
Fix proper rent
The information given by the Nazool office to an RTI activist speaks volumes about the concessions given to the missionary schools by the state government. The Presentation Convent has 85 kanals of state land and pays a rent of Rs 12000 annually. The Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson schools have also been leased out around 85 kanals of state land and the management of these schools has not paid any rent towards the Government from the last 35 years. Shockingly the concerned authorities have not demanded the rent for unknown reasons. And, the Burnhall school which occupies land that costs more than 10 crore pays peanuts as rent. The irony is that the previous state government doled out hefty sums to these schools in the name of aid even as the government run schools crave for infrastructure. There is no denying the fact that the founders of Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson schools did a commendable job for the upliftment of Kashmiris. Not only education, they contributed to socio-political development of the society and the people remember them to this day and also hold them in high esteem. But as the time passed, the management of these schools lost the zeal and turned into commercial centers. Now the parents are fleeced in the name of tuition fee, camp fee, sports fee and the list is endless. Even the students are forced to contribute to the teachers’ welfare fund. The `loot’ does not end here. The management extorts the pocket money of the students in the garb of “poor fund”. The results reflect the falling educational standards of these schools. While government run schools performed better, these so-called centres of excellence did not bag any top position. The point that needs to be made clear is that these schools must behave like missionary schools. As sought by the RTI applicant, at least 30 percent of the students must get free education. This is the least that can be sought from them to compensate the losses suffered by the state on account of non payment/insufficient rent for huge chunks of land that these institutions hold at prime locations. This has to be negotiated with the school managements seriously and in case they show reluctance, all of them must be put on (eviction) notice. Heavens will not fall if these schools wind up their `business’ in Kashmir. And, this is what they have to be told in clear terms.
