By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Education Minister Prof RC Laloo on Tuesday admitted that the State Government was unable to monitor the functioning of private educational institutions in the State since these institutions do not receive any grant-in-aid from the Government.
The Education Minister made this disclosure to a delegation of the KSU Education Cell who called on him on Tuesday to express their concern over the exorbitant fees charged by the private educational institution in the State.
“We have been told by the Education Minister that the Government has no control over the functioning of the private educational institutions since they do not receive any grant-in-aid from the Government,” KSU Education Secretary Donald V Thabah told reporters following the meeting.
Stating that the Education Minister, who is also concerned over the exorbitant fees being charge by these private institutions, Thabah added that Prof Laloo has assured them that he would discuss with his officers the necessary steps that can be taken in this regard.
“The exorbitant fees charged by some educational institutions are irrational, unreasonable and without any justification. The insensitivity of the school authorities to understand the plight of the students and the parents has raised a lot of doubts about the intention in which the school have been set up,” Thabah, who is also the chairman of the KSU Education Cell, said.
“It appears that these institutions are only interested in minting money by ignoring the difficulties and hardships of the parents especially those coming from the lower income group,” he said.
Meanwhile, the KSU also urged the Education Minister to constitute a State Council for Higher Education in line with the National Education Policy and University Grant Commission criteria to oversee the functioning of private institutions including private universities in the State which are ‘mushrooming’ day by day.
The KSU also asked the government to set up a separate regulatory body to check the functioning of private universities which fail to fulfill the norms laid down by the UGC.
Among other issues taken up by the KSU was the frequent change of syllabi for different levels (Class I-VI), the regular change of textbooks by the MBOSE and the delay in disbursement of the pre- and post- matric scholarships.
The Union also requested Prof Laloo to monitor all the agencies organizing educational fests in the State and to take all liabilities if any negative consequences arise out of such fests.
