Editor,
The news report, “Parents oppose Step by Step School new fee structure” (ST. Sep 12, 2018) is very troubling. The report said that various fees realized by the school included the admission fee, capitation fee, the Bharat Scouts and Guides fee, the Photography fee, Printing fee etc., sounded very unreasonable. Parents had to pay through their noses to enable their wards to study in the school. According to the report the fees are not only exorbitant but also defy all logic. If that is a fact then a grave offence has been committed by the school authorities.
This reflects the general trend of private schools that fleece parents in the name of fees. Actually these private educational institutions indulge in gross commercialization.
Yes school fees ought to be paid but there must be a rationale for that. Moreover, education ought to be made affordable so that even the lowest strata of the society can afford to send their kids to good institutions.
Some of the fees charged by the Step By Step School seem irrational and have become the modus operandi of most private schools. Surprisingly, of late, even Government schools have started following suit. The Government must step in and put to a stop to this extractive nature of private educational institutions. The State Education Department cannot be a mere mute spectator to these misdemeanors committed by the school authorities which are purely arbitrary and aimed at enriching the schools’ treasury. Where is the new Education Policy and the Rules and Guidelines framed there-under? Who will regulate these institutions and put a stop to all the malpractices? The Government has to come down heavily on these private educational institutions.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein, Via email
Traffic jam the commuter’s nightmare
Editor,
The citizens of Shillong are living with traffic jams day in and day out. In fact, it has become a way of life for everyone, especially the general public. Reaching one’s destination in this beautiful hill station of ours causes severe headache, anxiety and a rise in our blood pressure! However, one must admit that the Traffic policemen are working very hard to regulate traffic and help ease congestion especially during peak hours. Every now and again we experience major/minor changes in the routes ostensibly to ease traffic especially during busy hours. It is indeed commendable as the Traffic policemen are fighting a grave and tedious traffic snarl daily. In all earnestness they try very hard to discharge their duties on the road. But there is no denying the blatant fact that they stand at attendance and are more responsive whenever a VIP vehicle passes by. While the common man is stranded, the VIP vehicles are seen flouting traffic rules with the traffic police going out of their way to clear an even jam-packed road to make way for them. For these fortunate ones, the road is forever free. What is sad is when there is an ambulance/108 and a VIP vehicle on the same road, it has always been the case that the ambulance will have to make way for the VIP vehicle. Come Assembly sessions, the scenario is even worse. These vehicles would rush and drive in supersonic speed as if they going for battle. It seems as if they would trample anyone that dares come their way. Perhaps this is one reason why they fail to understand the plight of the people who are stuck in traffic jams for hours together. It’s interesting that traffic jams and VIP treatment of all VIP vehicles are discussed in the Assembly but will there be any change? All that we can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worse!
Yours etc.,
Jennifer Dkhar,
Via email
No VIPism on the road please!
Editor,
The recent Assembly session has brought out the worse form of VIP racism in the streets of Shillong. Travel within the city and even the suburbs has become nightmarish. From morning the sirens are blazing as VIPs drive through the traffic jam to reach the Assembly at Rilbong on time. After the VIPs have ridden roughshod over ordinary mortals they then discuss the issue of traffic jams in the Assembly without arriving at any tangible solutions. We are well aware that the major cause for traffic jams are the elite schools which blatantly refuse to conform to the State Government’s repeated directives to use school buses for ferrying their students to and from schools on various pretexts. All these elite schools are patronised by politicians and bureaucrats whose children study there. But can this continue at the cost of the inconvenience to the larger public? Is the Government of the day going to cater only to the powerful elite? Is the common person doomed to be stuck in traffic jams for hours on a daily basis? Time has come for this brand new Government to take some hard decision and not just populist ones. The people of Meghalaya voted for Change and they want to see that Change happening soon. They are sick and tired of the status quo and of governments running their five year terms with no substantial change in the mode of governance. Perhaps a time has come to adopt the Delhi model of odd and even number vehicles playing on alternate days. Short of this the citizens of Shillong will be losing unquantifiable man hours every day. Will Mr Conrad Sangma and his cabinet have the courage to take some hard decisions. Please note that cycling in Shillong is not an option unless you want to be run down by a speeding VIP vehicle. So don’t even preach to us about cycling to work. Gives us cycling tracks and we will show you that we can and will cycle to our respective work places. But what about the elderly who are too old to cycle and also those who don’t know cycling? We need quick solutions to the traffic mess soon!
Yours etc.,
Abraham John Sawkmie,
Via email