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Mama Parsi threatens to shut down
Mama Parsi threatens to shut down after being 'harassed' by education deptt
Karachi, June 19, 2008: The Mama Parsi School has threatened to shut operations after serving the
educational sector for more than 90 years due to what the school management
termed 'continuous harassment by the education department.'
The school
was established in 1918 in Karachi exclusively for Parsi students, while the
admission of Muslim girls was allowed only after 1947 at the request of
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah. The school celebrated 90 years in April this
year. Shutting the institution down could potentially damage the academic
futures of thousands of students.
The threat by the school administration
came after a team from the Private Schools Directorate made a surprise
inspection Monday morning and found school records in disarray. Well-placed
sources said that the inspection was conducted during summer vacations and after
the completion of the admission process so as to avoid any allegations that the
department inspection had been conducted for the department's own interests.
During the inspection, the team from the directorate discovered that the
second shift of the school that catered to students from class I to class VII
was not registered with the Private Schools Directorate.
The principal of
the school, Z.T. Mavawallah, was reportedly shocked to hear that the second
shift of the school also had to be registered. According to the rules and
regulations framed in light of the Privately Managed Educational Institutions
Registration and Regulations Act 1962 as amended in 2001, each shift of the
school as well as the branch or chapter is supposed to be registered with the
education department.
Mavawallah said that the school had been serving
the cause of education for the past 90 years and nobody had ever asked for any
registration. Despite this, if the government still needed such procedures to be
completed, then the school would have no problems in complying.
The
inspection team of Private School Directorate, however, said that their visit to
the school was not a surprise, but the date was intimated to the school
administration when two letters were dispatched there on Friday. The school
management claimed that they received the letter only on Monday morning, adding
that their administration works from Monday to Thursday.
The school
management appealed to the department to change the date of inspection given
that Friday was a non-working day for the management, but the department turned
down the request.
According to schedule of the visit of schools, the
Directorate Private Schools inspection team intends to move to other private
schools as well. The list includes school such as Saint Joseph's Convent, the
respective chains of City School and Beacon House School System, sources within
the education department said. The inspection team would visit Saint
Joseph's Convent on Thursday, the source confirmed.
During inspection,
the investigative team also noticed that the School Leaving Certificate (SLC)
did not contain the seal of the Board of Education, which is invalid under
prescribed rules.
It was also discovered that the school was taking
thrice the admission fees thus violating rules and regulations of the
directorate. According to the prescribed rules, a school is supposed to charge
admission fees equivalent to three installments of the tuition fees. In this
connection, the school is charging Rs 20,000 for admissions, while they were
supposed to charge Rs 6000 as per the rules.
The school management was
given seven days to clear up all such issues, else its second shift registration
would be cancelled. The school administration said that no timeframe was given
by the DPS. Instead senior officials of the school assured officials that the
matter would be cleared before the school re-opened in the month of August.
Secondly, the DPS has also asked the school to pay back extra money that
was taken as admission fee to all students who got admitted in the year 2006-07.
The formula of payment for students from previous years is yet to be worked out.
Inside sources in the school however, said that it has been the regular
feature of the education department to opt for a policy of harassment, as the
school is one of the few where admissions are based on open merit.
The
management of the school has decided to contact Sindh Education Minister Pir
Mazhar-ul-Haq, and would apprise him of the threatening attitude posed by the
Directorate Private School. We tried to contact the provincial minister
for comment but his cell phone was switched off.
The school is allowed
to charge Rs 1200 while they are charging Rs 2000 which too is another violation
of the rules. The News
Your Comments
"I think the threat to Mama Parsi School, is a move from private schools maafia, that cannot raise their level of quality education, instead started to harrass the good values of this school. The govt. must see into this, and resolve the isuue as soon as possible, there is no need to close down the school... The monthly and yearly and addmission fees schedules of City and Beacon House Schools should also be taken into the press / media, their expenses and many more..... "
Name: Sajidullah Ahmed
Email: callsajid5@hotmail.com
City, Country: Karachi, Pakistan
"The fee charged by Mama Parsi is far less than other private schools which are charging fees as high as Rs.6,000/- per month and are fleecing the parents and the students. This is merely harassment from DPS because the department cannot influence the schools opem merit policy in any other manner. "
Name: S. Khaleeq Ahmad
Email: askhaleeq@gmail.com
City, Country: Karachi, Pakistan
"In my opinion Mama Parsi has now monopoly due to its reputation and not following standards. I visited Mama Parsi for the admission of my child, but you will be surprised to know that I was stopped at the gate with a harsh behaviours. When I reached inside the lady at information desk misbehaved and didnt give proper response. She only gave me a circular and told me to read it out and take any other information through telephone. This was really so insulting. I think the school must learn how to talk to their customers (parents). When I visited Beacon House, Head Start and other schools they have proper information desk and behaving like a human being not like an evil."
Name: Karim
Email: simda@cyber.net.pk
City, Country: Karachi, Pakistan
"Where the inspection report of DPS concerned,they might be right but as rule apply for every one, I would like to suggest them to visit PECHS and other schools and bring the school fees to the approved fees.Now its 2010 still fees are increasing therefore it seems that DPS just wanted to bribed Mama Parsi School. I am 100pc agree with the comments of Mr ***** that the receptionist is very **** in her behavior, she never satisfy the querry, otherwise school is one of the best school in imparting education.One thing which i also like that except schedule fees no any extra charges are demanded."
Name: mahlaqa
Email: mah_jin@live.co.uk
City, Country: karachi,pakistan
"Mama Parsi is my alma matter and to listen something like this for the school is insulting for me. as far as the charges claimed are concerned we should first see the charges of other private schools how the parents are being looted literally in the name of admission and monthly and extra curricular fees however the fees that Mama Parsi charges is peanuts as compared to them. As far as the behaviour is concerned Mama Parsi has always been a closed school and doesnt like to be questioned I agree that other schools must have given you a good response but their quality of education will not be the same. I can compare these schools to brands like Mama Parsi has a reputation and people die to get their children admitted there however other schools wants children to come and take admission."
Name: Kamni Siraj
Email: kamnisiraj@gmail.com
City, Country: Karachi, Pakistan
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| Education News | | Updated: 25 May, 2012 |
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