India-Pak Special Report - keralamonitor.com Patron may revoke the Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Embassy, Indian School Al Ghubra May 29, 2002 The protracted battle between the mighty Indian business lobby of Muscat and the firmly determined one-man army of the Indian Ambassador K.M.Meena has taken a new turn as a leading private school is going ahead with a proposal to introduce day- school schedule, giving scant regard for the School patron's opinion. Even though the idea of changing the school timing to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. was totally rejected by the patron, the Indian Ambassador K.M.Meena, the school management has started conducting an opinion survey among the students and parents about the same. It is learned from reliable quarters that the patron has taken the issue very seriously and if pressed against the wall, he may go to the extent of revoking a controversial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Indian Embassy and a leading Indian businessman about a decade ago when the school started in 1990. "When only a few years are left for completing the MoU period, the patron has suggested that the school management desist from taking any serious decisions of this nature. As per the Indian school rules, Indian school Ghala is a community school, which is converted into a private school on the basis of a controversial MoU," said sources. "After the MoU period is over within a couple of years, the Indian Ambassador's desire may be to give the school back to the Indian community in Oman," added sources. 'There is also a provision in the MoU that gives the ambassador enough power to revoke the MoU and give the school management back to the Indian community,' said sources. The MoU which is allegedly signed by a former ambassador is against the community interest and gives away a number of favours to a private individual, its alleged. It is also alleged that the school is going ahead with such unimportant issues just to postpone a fees reduction proposal made by the board of Indian schools and the Indian Ambassador, who are supposed to be the final authority on Indian school matters. "Instead of reducing the abnormally high school fees as suggested by the patron, the management is using pressure tactics to silence the Ambassador. Even though they have agreed in principal to reduce school fees as per the patron's recommendations, they are following a delaying tactics. Legal opinion sought by the concerned authorities say that the school MoU will not have legal standing in the local courts, as the Omani government had given a license to Indian School Muscat to open a branch in Al Ghubra and no license was given to private promoters -Indian school Al Ghubra and Indian School Wadi Kabir, added sources. "All Indian community schools here are known as Indian Schools without any business group's name added as prefix. It is also known that such schools have not been subjected to income tax because they are considered as community schools. "All private schools in the Gulf are taxed,' but no Indian school has been taxed in Oman," added sources. While there are certain positive angles to it, a section of parents argue that the decision to change school timing will adversely affect the children, parents and teachers alike. Their argument is that after expanding the working time up to 4 P.M. students will be getting only half an hour more than the current time table. 'Due to the peculiar geographic nature of the Gulf, the whole of Oman is taking rest or sleeping between 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. All the companies are closed during this time but only school children of tender age groups will be studying," says an expert. 'instead of doing homework at home, children will be doing the same in the classrooms," he added. "For the teachers, there is going to be more working hours at the same low salary," said sources. "In the name of subsidised lunch, they will be served all the junk food sold by a hotelier," added a parent. It may be recalled that the patron's earlier suggestion to introduce evening shifts in Indian schools for making the optimum utilisation of educational resources has created a heated debate among parents, students and the academic community. The move to introduce day-school concept is seen as an effort to counter the patron's proposal. The patron has been subjected to severe political pressure from New Delhi to favour private individuals, without giving any considerations for the larger community interest. The patron is being singled out as all the powerful business groups have come together in a common platform to silence him using their money power, political influence and Vastha. A section of the local media, hostile politicians from New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram, the local Ministry of Education officials and even some of his own subordinates have turned against the patron, who stood in favour of the common Indian parent. Like the cheap dirty Indian politicians, some of the new board members appointed by the patron with much optimism have also crossed the floor and turned against him --read against the common Indian citizen who always found it difficult to afford the escalating cost of education. Once the mighty selfish business class is given a free hand as before, every progressive step taken by the patron to reduce the burden of common man will be rolled back and the ambassador may not complete his full term in office. He has lost one war with them, but the long battle is far from over. Even the so called social organisations including the ones who always 'uphold the common man" are with the business lobby. Despite veiled threats from various corners and severe limitations keralamonitor.com is firmly upholding values of fair justice to the common man. (keralamonitor.com) Related Reports: Indian School Board Chairman turn around to support private school in Seeb-Private Promoter not keen to run a community school