Facilities to fees, CBSE tells schools to make all info public
NEW DELHI: Having largely failed to
nudge schools towards greater transparency by publicly disclosing their fee —
for people to judge if it was commensurate with the facilities
provided — the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is acting tough.
It has now made it mandatory for all schools across the country to make public information about their functioning under 130 heads. School managements are protesting against what they see as CBSE overstepping its authority and trampling on the autonomy of schools.
The order — no longer an advisory — to upload the disclosures on the school websites has not gone down well with them. In a memorandum issued on October 25, CBSE has asked for mandatory disclosures under six categories: general, management, infrastructure, staff, finance and other details. This covers an unprecedented wide range of information — from the number of taps to fee break-up, WiFi speed, admission results, reserve funds and balance sheets. The deadline for the disclosure is November 30, 2016.
This is part of the initiative announced earlier in September by the chairman of the Board, Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi. In a circular as early as June, the CBSE had asked for fee and salary details to be uploaded but found that many schools had not even developed a website. The Board had threatened not to allow their students to appear for the board examinations.
It has now made it mandatory for all schools across the country to make public information about their functioning under 130 heads. School managements are protesting against what they see as CBSE overstepping its authority and trampling on the autonomy of schools.
The order — no longer an advisory — to upload the disclosures on the school websites has not gone down well with them. In a memorandum issued on October 25, CBSE has asked for mandatory disclosures under six categories: general, management, infrastructure, staff, finance and other details. This covers an unprecedented wide range of information — from the number of taps to fee break-up, WiFi speed, admission results, reserve funds and balance sheets. The deadline for the disclosure is November 30, 2016.
This is part of the initiative announced earlier in September by the chairman of the Board, Rajesh Kumar Chaturvedi. In a circular as early as June, the CBSE had asked for fee and salary details to be uploaded but found that many schools had not even developed a website. The Board had threatened not to allow their students to appear for the board examinations.
In September, the Board had set a
deadline of October 31 for schools to disclose the information on their own and
the Board's website. In the latest circular, the Board has listed the details
it is seeking and spelt out that it is mandatory.
"The information shall be filed only online through the link given on the Board's website and is also to be uploaded on the school's website. The information will facilitate the Board using it in various academic and examination activities. It shall also be beneficial for schools to make available information about their academic and infrastructural facilities in public domain..." stated the memorandum, adding that the last date for completing the process was November 30, 2016.
The most exhaustive of the categories
is infrastructure where the schools are being asked to disclose the size of the
plot they are located on, area of the ground and even the builtup area. The
schools also need to disclose the number of buildings and whether they are
being run from multiple sites. All details of the facilities given to students
need to be disclosed.
Safety seems to be an area of concern
with the schools being asked to furnish details of measures like fire
extinguisher, sprinklers and fire alarms with issuing date, validity and
authority, besides fire safety certificates, construction, drinking water and
sanitation. "The primary idea is to make things transparent. Apart from
the Board, the parents and public need to know exactly they are paying
for," said Chaturvedi.
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan
& Co
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