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Jamshedpur, Feb. 6 (Source - The Telegraph): Some students of private schools and coaching centres today laid siege on the Circuit House, demanding that they be allowed to appear for matric exams, beginning February 22.
About 70 agitators — students, some of whom were accompanied by their parents, student body activists and political leaders — sat at the entrance of the Circuit House and raised slogans against the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) and education minister Hemlal Murmu. They first assembled at the district education office but rushed to the Circuit House after coming to know that the minister was staying there. They submitted a memorandum to Murmu, outlining their demands, including permission for sitting in the examination.
They later sat on a dharna at the entrance of the gate and refused to let Murmu’s cavalcade pass, forcing the minister to wait till some political activists intervened.
The minister said: “I will convene a meeting with JAC functionaries on Monday to try and find a solution.”
Pawan Singh, the president of Jharkhand Chhatra Morcha, said: “The students are being forced to suffer for no fault of theirs. We cannot tolerate this.”
The fate of 1,800 private school students from East Singhbhum hangs in the balance. Usually, students of private schools and coaching centres appear for matric exams through government schools.
Sources said the genesis of the whole problem revolved around a nexus between recognised schools and the district education department. JAC rules state that private school students have to attend three months’ of practical course at recognised schools to sit for matric exams. But a sizeable section of private students do not attend the practical classes.
Things turned controversial when JAC came to know about these irregularities and the nexus. The JAC then disallowed such students of private schools from filling their forms based on a probe report.
But S. Likhra, the principal of a private school, said: “About 864 students from my school are appearing through Giri Bharti School, recognised by the JAC. They have filled registration forms and paid Rs 430 as fees. But they are not being allowed to sit for the exams. We are in a fix.”
