SHILLONG: UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh has urged the State Government to restrict commercialization of education by private institutions.
Speaking during the Question Hour during the Budget Session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Monday, Mawthoh pointed out that hefty fees charged by private institutions has put education beyond the reach of the commoners.
While lamenting that the State Government was yet to act against the menace, the Nongthymmai legislator said that though private investment in education is welcome, it should not be aimed at profit-making.
The UDP legislator also wanted to know if the private schools were catering to the disadvantaged sections of the society and whether seats were reserved for the underprivileged children in schools run by non-profit organizations.
Echoing similar concerns, Independent legislator John Leslee K Sangma said that the Government should stop the “use and throw policy” adopted by private institutions as far as text books are concerned.
Sharing his personal experience, Sangma said that the private institutions where his children are studying do not allow the use of the same text books after an academic year even if the books are in good condition. “I want an assurance in this House that this policy of use and throw of text books should be banned,” the South Tura legislator said.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister in charge Education, RC Laloo said that the department is aware of the matter and an Enquiry Committee has been constituted to examine the “commercialization of education.”
He further informed that the report of the committee is being examined by the Directorate.
Stating that the state government is also aware of mushrooming of private institutions, Laloo said this issue was discussed at different levels of the department.
Laloo, however, could not give a satisfactory answer on the reservation of seats for the underprivileged in the private institutions and only said that as per the RTE Act, schools have to earmark at least 25 per cent of the seats for the disadvantaged sections.
Replying to Leslee Sangma’s query “on use and throw of textbooks”, Laloo said that the government is aware of the matter and the education department has taken up the matter with private institutions.
“The government needs specific information about the schools to take action,” Laloo added.
