Monitoring committee to look after Christian schools

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, February 27, 2007
The Christian schools in the state have formed a monitoring committee, which will not only help the institutions to protect its rights but also examine complaints against any institution. It may also recommend the Centre to cancel the status of the institutions, which flout norms.
The education cell of Bangiya Christiya Pariseba in association with West Bengal Association of Christian Schools (WBACS) and West Bengal Teachers Christian Association (WBTCA) instituted the West Bengal Monitoring Committee for the Christian Minority Educational Institutions (WBMCCMEI) on Tuesday.
On February 22 and 23, representatives of Christian schools went to Delhi and met the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) and the National Monitoring Committee for Minority Educational Institutions (NMCMEI), both set up by the human resource development ministry, for the upliftment of minority institutions. It was there that the decision to form the monitoring committee was taken.
Both NCMEI and NMCMEI have been empowered by the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004 to receive and investigate any complaints pertaining to the violation of minority rights and take necessary action. “We will be acting as an extended arm of the NCMEI and NMCMEI in Bengal and look after the problems of the Christian schools in the state and will address their case in Delhi,” said Herod Mullick, state secretary of BCP.
There are about 700 Christian schools in Bengal and the new committee will not only monitor them but will also help them to get the no objection certificate (NOC) from the state. “In many cases the state government does not want to give the NOC to minority schools. In such scenario, we would ask the state to give an explanation for their denial. If there is some fault on part of the school we will rectify it and if the government’s decision is faulty and is harassing the school we will fight it,” said Mullick.
The committee will also receive and examine complaints of violation of minority rights of educational institutions by government departments or by any public servants.
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