Instead of developing schools coming under it to retain students, the Department of Minority Welfare has restricted students who want to leave schools from taking Transfer Certificates (TCs).
Director of the department has written to all principals of its schools that permission of the department is mandatory before TCs are issued to students. The authorities defend the move as only an effort to understand why students want to leave the schools.
A total of 93 Morarji Desai Boarding Schools, four Government Muslim Boarding schools, 200 Moulana Azad Model Schools (State board) and 29 Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Board Schools (CBSE board) from classes VI to XII come under the Department of Minority Welfare in the State and thousands of students are studying in these institutions.
However, most of these schools, including boarding schools, are running in rented buildings with lack of basic infrastructure.
Among 200 Moulana Azad Model Schools, only 90 headmasters were appointed last year and in the remaining 110 schools, there are no headmasters. Most of the teachers’ posts are vacant and the department has appointed only guest teachers instead. The situation in boarding schools is also the same. All this has resulted in students and parents wanting to shift to other schools.
But instead of improving infrastructure and providing quality education, the department has restricted the TCs of students who want to go to other schools, say stakeholders.
Violation of RTE Act
Stakeholders have pointed out that this directive is a clear violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act – 2009 and is also taking away the rights of issuing TCs from principals of the schools. The RTE Act, Chapter II and rule 5 says, “Where a child is required to move from one schools to another, either within the state or outside for any reason whatsoever, such child shall have the right to seek transfer to other school. For seeking admission in such other school, the Head Master of the school where such child was admitted shall immediately issue the TC.”
It further says, “The Headmaster of the school delaying issuance of TC shall be liable for disciplinary action under the service rules applicable to him or her.”
A Headmaster of a Moulana Azad Model School told The Hindu on condition of anonymity, “The infrastructure of the schools is poor. Most of the schools are running in rented buildings. Even a month after schools were started, the department has not distributed uniforms, shoes, socks and stationery to the students. Therefore, students are interested to go for other schools, but the department has restricted the TCs.”
‘It is only to track them’
However, defending his move, Raghavendra T., Director, Directorate of Minorities said, “We have not restricted TCs of students who want to go to other schools, but we are planning to track them so that we know the reason why they want to leave our school. All of our schools are English medium and we are providing quality education. We are providing good facilities in the boarding schools free of cost. This year, we achieved 96% result in Class X exam, where the State average result was 83%. After getting the TC, where they will be go is important. If the students and parents give a genuine reason, we will give TC immediately. That is why I issued the notice to all the principals of our schools.”
