KM Special School News October 20, 2003 Indian School Muscat (Acting) Principal, Vice Principle Accused of helping Plagiarism   ISM bags first prize at Doha science exhibition   An Indian School Muscat (ISM) parent has accused the Principal and Vice Principal of helping plagiarism and denying due recognition to a student who put in lot of time and energy to develop an innovative project. Parents of Rohith Nair, a 12th Standard student of the ISM who has just left for higher studies to Sri Lanka claimed that an innovative science project submitted by him to the ISM was presented in Doha, Qatar and the prize is given to another student.   " Newspaper reports based on a press statement issued by the school authorities attributed the prize to a 12th standard student who is said to have helped Rohit to procure chemicals for it. "It was Rohits idea to submit this report, the concept and major part of the out put was done by him, while the other boy helped him to procure chemicals," parents claimed. "This student has been send to Doha accompanied by the teacher. But it really surprising to see that my son has been completely ignored and omitted by the school and no recognition given at all. He has certificates from both the head of the department and the principal saying that Rohit won the first prize for the project .Claudia Nair, the mother of Rohit has threatened to go public if the mistake is not rectified soon.   "This is against any principles or ethics and to think that the school could do this is unbelievable. This project is going to be recognized at the state level in Delhi and my son should also be given an equal importance as the project was done together. Why do I have had to go through all this and remind them of my sons existence and recognition?- Is the ISM run by some crooks without any integrity or ethical standards? No wonder such things are happening because the school is given to the hands of corrupt elements, who change even their date of birth with the approval of school patron and the embassy staff to remain seated for another five years. School authorities said they will do something to rectify the problem. -keralamonitor.com   ISM bags first prize at Doha science exhibition   MUSCAT — The Indian School Muscat project on bio-diesel has been placed first among 638 exhibits at the 30th Jawaharlal Nehru State Level Science Exhibition held at MES Indian School Doha. It has also been selected for the national science exhibition to be held at Dehradun next month.   ‘Science, indigenous technology and sustainable development’ was the general theme of the exhibition. The ISM project was under the sub-theme ‘Transport and Communication’.   Deeptanshu Pandey, a class 12 student, and John Dominic of Chemistry Department represented the school at the exhibition. The project aims at the possibility of developing internal combustion fuels from non-fossil sources as well as develop ‘green fuels’ which minimise pollution by reducing sulphur and lead contents. The student-guide combination won kudos for the approach to the topic in an innovative way that will pave way for future investigations and research   City Light, Shed some Light on your Readers Comment about Indian School Did KM charge the Hindu Mahajan Association to be Brahmins? We urge the citylight writer (Times of Omanwho accused our scribe of writing wrong facts to read our report fully and point out where the author has called HMA as representing the Brahmins. With all due regard to the positive contribution of the Association, we beg to differ with Citylight writer who contributed the report to say that it does not represent the entire merchant community. The reader who wrote the comment should carefully read our report and see the overall message. Even though there are only one or 10 local citizens in that body, they cannot claim that HMA represents the Indian community. What is the role of Iindian Social Club, which is supposed to be the only representative body of the Indian community here? As per the rules, there cannot be two expatriate community associations for Indians. Why did people who got local citizenship were asked to relinquish ISC official positions? . KM does not intend to discuss communal issues here but since the debate is initiated, we thought it is right to make our stand clear. Brahminism is a system, a mentality that discriminates people on the basis of their birth and skin colour. Well if HMA is not Brahminical , why should they control two temples and take away all the money donated by the devotees? Why all the income from schools and temples go to the association?If it is a charitable institution, as claimed in Citylight, should the public know how they are spending the money? Why the Omani Indian nationals keep a low profile from the school activities? There are nearly 3000 students paying a reasonably good fees. How come the school did not make any profit in the last two decades? Better the HMA officials take a new accountancy course ? Who are you trying to fool by saying that the school is not making profit....Shame. Well about conducing opinion survey among parents. We have already seen the parents' response to a survey in one of the private schools. Did the school manage to get parents approval to change the time table to a Day School???? Well the author has acknowledged that only a section of the community is represented in the school board. What about students who represent other communities? Dont you think their parents should have a role in deciding their chilldredns education. Why only a miniscule section of the Indian community decide everything! If it is a sub community school? Why Shah-Brado Wanted to Sack ISM Principal on March 31, 2003 when CBSE Exam was progressing? When the CBSE Examination was going on two prominent members of ISM Management Committee wanted to sack the ISM Principal M.M.Joshi on 31st March 2003. They wanted to sack him overnight when the principal was preparing the students of the Waterloo in their life and was involved as head examiner in evaluation of CBSE Answer books of Class XII English.What was Mr. Harshendu Shah, former ISM President and Deepak Brado former convenor of ISM trying to achieve by sacking the principal overnight? Teachers were sacked or forced to resign for various flimsy grounds and their replacements are yet to be appointed. The duo have allegedly created an atmosphere of tension, fear and instability in the mids of the staff, says an innternal investigation report into the poor state of affairs in ISM, the largest community school in the Gulf with 6000 students. Teachers are working without labour card because the super boss gave special instruction not to apply for their labour cards. How can such a school excel in the CBSE Examinations? How will the teachers work sincerely to produced good results when their annual increments are stopped? -- Watch out for more on the role of a principal and the committee members in running Indian schools. Can the committee members take control of the school from the experienced principal who is supposed to be managing the day to day activities of the school?   Indian School Darsait MC Approves resolution against Sugathan Gopalan   Indian School Darsait Management Committee members have approached the Indian School Board, after a stormy committee meeting to remove Sugathan Gopalan from the School Committee. The latest controversy is surrounding the Republic Day Celebrations held at the school premises in which the SMC member has allegely violated the protocol. The power struggle within the SMC has reached a new stage as the Board has constituted a special Committee to investigate the charges against Sugathan Gopalan. Sugathan claims that he played an important role in developing the ISD. The board will also examine charges made by Sugathan against other SMC members..Watch this space for more.   Sharon Re-Elected; Palestinians Skeptical Of Peace Prospects   Red Alert to Indian School Parents   Pregnant Student   This is an appeal to the parents of Indian schools in the Gulf - Please monitor the movement of your grown up children, especially girl students in senior classes. The family of an Indian School Student who has been involved in an illicit love affair with the driver of the school bus is facing an unpleasant situation now. Even though the school had reportedly warned the student (12th Standard) and the driver about the affair , things have been going out of control. KM sources revealed that the youth has been abscoding. Dont allow your grown up daughters to use mobile phones, Internet chatting or go alone with the young school bus drivers . A Club premise was alleged used as a rendevouz by the girl and the youth to engage in illicit relationship --- Watch this space. MEA Files Counter Affidavit in Delhi High Court case Against the Indian Ambassador  School News Advocate of the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi has filed a strong Counter Affidavit in Delhi High Court defending some of the punitive actions taken by the Indian Ambassador in Oman, the patron of Indian Schools, against certain prominent businessmen in Muscat. In response, the advocates of the petition has asked for more time to "study" the points made by the MEA. In the counter affidavit MEA retaliated most of the points raised in the petition, arguing that since the case occurred in Oman, filing a case challenging such an action in an Indian court would tantamount to interference in the domestic affairs of another sovereign nation. It is also argued that the petitioner was not involved in any community activities before he was appointed as the chairman of the Indian Schools. Watch this space for more. Manipulation of Document with Official's Help Changing Date of Birth by senior Indian School Muscat Staff could take place only with the tacit support of an Official who approved an affidavit which was just signed in the presence of a judicial personality in India. It is difficult to believe that changing someone's date of birth or other crucial information in a passport was done carelessly. As in the past, KM brought the issue to the notice of the Indian community, but some senior board members are apparently upset about KM reporting for obvious reasons. It is learned that the official has been removed from the consular section, but is that step enough to prevent recurrance of such cases in future? By taking advantage of the weak position of the senior official in question, members of the school Management committee have been "getting things" done out of the way from the administrator, who calls the final shot in crucial matters, including the school finances. It is learned that recently two lakh Rials have been transferred from one bank account to another. However, the School which is having huge surplus fund is unwilling to give a small loan to the infant Indian School in Seeb to finance its building construction. Even though the parent school is offered the same rate of interest given by banks where the money is deposited, the SMC members say there is no fund to support another community school? It is easy for the SMC to spend money for replacing the school main switch board several times in an year, or "buy" the highest quality paints for building renovation with the help of such "administrators" by squeezing the ordinary parents. It is another matter that the lowest quality paint is used to decorate the school building. Indian School Darsait MC Approves resolution against Sugathan Gopalan   Indian School Darsait Management Committee members have approached the Indian School Board, after a stormy committee meeting to remove Sugathan Gopalan from the School Committee. The latest controversy is surrounding the Republic Day Celebrations held at the school premises in which the SMC member has allegely violated the protocol. The power struggle within the SMC has reached a new stage as the Board has constituted a special Committee to investigate the charges against Sugathan Gopalan. Sugathan claims that he played an important role in developing the ISD. The board will also examine charges made by Sugathan against other SMC members..Watch this space for more. SCOOP - SCOOP -- SCOOP -- SCOOP Indian School Manager Becomes Younger by Five Years! MUSCAT - A very senior Official of an Indian School in Muscat has managed to remain in office for five more years after he completed sixty - the normal retirement age. It appears that the Indian School Manager realized that he is five years younger only when he was on the verge of retirement ! The principle of retirement at old age is not applicable to many senior people in Indian Schools who cling to office using such dubious means. KM has got hold of documents which indicate that the date of birth of the high profile official was changed from 25th August 1942 to 25 August 1947 - five years. According to the original documents, the officer would have already retired from service. KM is publishing this story to highlight the dubious methods practiced by some of the higher authorities in Indian Schools, which are expected to mold our future generations. Corrupt Indian School board members may have gone, but such unscrupulous elements would continue to spoil the smooth and transparent functioning of Indian Schools.  School News Kuwait Indian School Iran Indian Schools Indian School Darsait proposes to remove RO 110 Caution Deposit, ISM President, board members oppose parent friendly policy K.S.Visruthan The Indian School Darsait, which is the only Kerala Syllabus school in the Sultanate of Oman, has set a new standard in the costly education arena by proposing to remove the caution deposit scheme completely from next academic year so that ordinary parents will be encouraged to send their children to the school without any hesitation. Except the Indian School Wadi Kabir (which has no caution deposit )and the new Indian School in Seeb which is charging half the amount charged by all other Indian schools in Oman, all other Schools in Muscat are charging caution deposit. The ISD president has proposed that the school has sufficient amount of fund to function smoothly without taking RO 110 from the parents. But KM sources say that the Indian School Muscat and some of the new board members in fact want the parents to continue to pay RO 110 as caution deposit ! The ISM is sitting on a huge amount of surplus fund which is being kept in very low interest yielding deposit schemes and some of the board members have reportedly been trying to move the fund from one bank to another for unknown reasons. Apparently it is a new story of double standards followed by some of the new Board Members and Indian School Presidents who are overtly pro-parents and pro-community but covertly working for keeping someone elses interests in mind? It is learned that the President of Indian School Muscat, who was a very vocal member representing the Indian school parents and some of the Indian School Board members have vehemently opposed the move to do away with caution deposit and asked the ISD Management committee to reconsider its decisin. The reason --Parents of Indian School Muscat wouldalso demand withdrawal of caution deposits. !More KM Replies to allegations of criminal record Editor KM Why our journalists support the poor? We have a criminal background? Here is the Answer Dear Members of the Indian Community in the Gulf. Bank Executive face CBO Probe for illegal fund raising Campaign The Central Bank of Oman has probed serious complaints against a banker, a fomer Indian school board member, for conducting an unauthorised fund collection drive among the bank clients for the Indian Schol Muscat Carnival. The Apex bank has written a strongly worded letter to an Arab Bank in Oman, his employer asking the senior exective to write an apology letter to the patron of Indian schools within 15 days or face severe punitive measures. The former Chairman of Indian Schools is also facing charges of alleged forgery to safeguard his close associate. The board member who was recently sacked from the Indian school board is asked to comply with the Corporate Governance Principles of the Central Bank. Watch this space. Legal Notice - No Question of Returning Indian School Borad Seal, Letter head. Even as the Delhi High Court Case is pending hearing, a second legal notice was served on the patron for asking the former board chairman o return the Board Stationary, seal and letterheads which have been allegedly misused. Recently the Ministry of Education endorsed his removal from the board, Watch this space.   Indian School Board Meets After eight Months Members vow to solve internal problems within the community MUSCAT - December 29, 2002 After a gap of eight months the first meeting of the Board of Indian schools was held here on 28th December under the chairmanship of Sandeep Arora, whose appointment was earlier disputed by many powerful members of the Indian community using their influence and money power. The board decided that the unhappy course of events witnessed in the recent past would not be repeated again and majority of the board members vowed to prevent any individuals or group of members from "hijacking" the entire board causing unnecessary disruption of the normal board functioning. Contrary to misleading reports, Sandeep Arora will continue to remain the board chairman for the full term of his appointment. It is also decided that despite any problems, the board should function smoothly. More   Cyber Campaign against the Indian Ambassador, New School committee member Launched. Sugathan Gopalan Refutes Allegations, Says Charges Framed to Sideline Important Issues affecting School Functioning Mounting Fee Defaults, New Committe Members Enjoy Five Star Parties     INDIAN SCHOOL TEHRAN SPECIAL REPORT   Unreasonable Fees Hike of 50% within two years.Public Imprisonment of Students for delay in fees payment!Threat to Family members of those who raise serious Issues in public about Indian Schools. Futile Please for help from Prime Minister, ILO, Indian Embassy, Indian community-Indian School Power Politics -Teachers easy target-Lady Teacher sacked for taking Children to attend Iranian cultural Show -Teacher's Contract Renewed, but Service Terminated with one-sentence order?Nine IS teachers sacked ! More scapegoats expected!-Embassy to harass Indian Citizen!   Covert Campaign by School lobby to oust Indian Diplomat intensifies Are teachers like Construction Workers who can be hired and fired overnight?   Iran Indian School Special Report- Teachers Sacked Teachers Reaction to the Sacking Saga Indian School sells teachers' release order for RO 350 Patron may revoke Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Embassy, Indian School Al Ghubra-- read earlier report Parents favour existing School time table, not keen to go for evening schools. Controversy over the appointment of new President of Indian School Darsait Indian School principal salary RO 130 per month! Annual Staff Cost of an Indian School in Muscat is Rs. 16.25 crores!!! Indian School Board to introduce New Rules based on Parents Survey Indian School Patron may seek nominations from parents outside self-nomination' Ibra school slashes fees by RO 2 per month, other Indian Schools may foolow suit.   Indian School Board to introduce New Rules based on Parents Survey   Various points made by the parents regarding parent-teacher meeting, fees structure, financial aspects, auditing, centralised procurement of books and stationery and student counseling have been incorporated into a new action plan, which will be implemented by the new board of directors of Indian schools after getting some feedback from individual schools. These new ideas will be further refined by the board who will circulate the draft among 14 Indian Schools in Oman to get their views.   Indian Ambassador Reshuffle Indian School Board of Directors Board of Directors suspends seven member Management committee of Indian School Molada   Private Businessman Continues lobbying for private school   The private promoter of the Seeb-Al Hail area, Oman has been continuing his campaign to exert considerable political pressure on the Indian Ambassador in Muscat K.M. Meena, who is equally determined to prevent misuse of the school by private businessmen who have been amassing huge amount of profit by fleezing ordinary Indians in the Gulf. .More   More Indian School Board Members Resign, Patron Firm on Reforms   Bangladesh School Parents in Saudi Arabia agitated Indian politicians intervene to cover up Indian School Controversy Indian Ambassador suspends four bigwigs from the Indian School Board Indian School Muscat may run Indian School Seeb The proposed new Indian school in the Seeb-al Hail area is likely to remain a full fledged community school rather than a privately sponsored one as publicised by the promoters. It is learned that the higher authorities have reversed the decision of former Indian Ambassador Satnam Sing and decided that the proposed Indian school in Seeb will function purely as a community school.Full Report New board members call on ambassador How contentious Indian schools issue panned out By A Staff Reporter, Courtesy the Times of Oman MUSCAT - With the majority of the old Indian school board members out and the remaining ones on the verge of resignation and/or non-resignation or having already resigned; the induction of new members and a general feeling of tranquillity being restored in this contentious issue, it is time to take stock. It is time to look into a situation that now seems to be on the verge of reaching an agreeable conclusion. Indian School Board oppose Ambassador's Survey and school reform measures. Indian School board invites parent applicants for school committees Promises more parents meetings with MCs, School boards. The Board of Directors of Indian Schools in Oman has started distributing a new circular among parents seeking what it calls 'self nomination of parents." to the school management committees. A circular issued by the Chairman of the Board of Directors yesterday to the parents of Indian Schools in Oman said: 'The parent is an important member of the school/child/parent community. Many parents can contribute and volunteer in the programmesof the schools in different ways. Most of the members serving on the management committee are also parents who work to make the school better and contribute on a regular basis. If you have ideas and more importantly have the time, we encourage you to apply.' Report on School Fund Raising Campgins..Click Business lobby dominating School functioning School Constitution Protects Parent's Interest Plans afoot to replace members from Indian school boards Pay Rs 50,000 (as bribe), become a teacher School Auditing --More than a joke Inflated Rent Causes severe financial drain on parents

 

 

Addressing the problems?

K.M.Meena, new Patron of Indian School appears to be willing to address some of the issues raised by parents.

 

INFLATED RENT CAUSES SEVERE FINANCIAL DRAIN FOR PARENTS

 

Carnival - Every year one of the leading Indian Schools in Muscat conducts a fund raising programme called Carnival. According to informed sources about RO 50,000 is collected from euch programme, but the exact amount raised is said to be more than this. The school with 6,000 students is the largest Indian school in Oman with its own land and building donated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos due o philanthropic considerations

 

Indian Schools in the Gulf

Private Versus Public Interest Conflicts Spoil Education

An Indian couple -- Rajandran Nair and Sheela -- came to Gulf recently for employment with a moderate salary. Their immediate concern after reaching Oman was to find the nearest school for their children. The couple went to one of the Indian Schools and inquired about the admission procedure and fees structure so that their five year old younger son Abhijith could be admitted in KG class.

Mr.Nair was astonished to see the fees chart for pre-primary education, which is equivalent to Indian Rupees. 2,500 - Rs.3,000 per month. Nair who was educated in India up to post graduation made an interesting comment about education in Gulf based Indian schools: 'Just for completing KG II class in an Indian School, parents would have to shell out more money than what he/she had to spend throughout their life in India for studying up to M.A or M.Sc.' In addition to school fees, parents have to shell out an amount equivalent to Rs.1200 per month for transport (taking the child from home to school and back) and periodically contribute to a host of other fund raising schemes.

Don't forget that normally the text books, stationery and other items sold through the Indian schools will be at double the price the same is available in the open market. If you have more than one child, family life in the Arabian Gulf is like a nightmare. If you are a straightforward person without any dubious business dealings, you will start cursing the school managements and after sometimes opt to send back your child to India where education is much cheaper. Due to this, only a privileged people could enjoy the pleasure of family life here.

Even though Indian community schools in Oman are supposed to be working as non commercial entities by keeping vested business interests away from the school administration, many of the schools have been operating like commercial enterprises by the school board of directors and the Board of Governors.

Oman Government has been praised for it socio-economic reforms and educational development in the Sultanate. Several provisions of the the Omani educational rules, which govern the operation of 14 Indian Schools in Oman, are introduced by the Wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos for the benefit of ordinary expatriate students and their parents to make cheap education accessible to all.

However, some of the Indian school managements have been blindly following commercial interests through subtle means. Due to high tuition and other fees charged regularly from ordinary students, education has been becoming too dear for an average Indian citizen working in the Sultanate. Despite these high fees structure and large number of students, many of the schools are said to be working on thin margins. If the audited balance sheets produced by some of the schools is any indication, many of them are surviving because of interest income earned from the school funds.

Many business magnates have been jointly squeezing ordinary Indians by directly and indirectly controlling Indian Schools. According to informed sources, at least two senior members of the Board of Governors who are continuing in the Board even after completing their legal tenure of six years in office, are asked to put in their papers as early as possible. Similarly, at least two of the Board of Governors members who have been doing the school auditing are under the close scrutiny of higher authorities. There is another member of the school committee who is about to celebrate his glorious 18th anniversary in the school administration. Many students who were admitted to the school during the initial years of this respected committee member would have completed their course and left the school. But the committee member is still a member of the school board!

The Omani Education rules and the School Constitution stipulates that each school should publish the audited balancesheet and display it on the notice board. While many schools are not having their accounts audited properly, the auditor reports are rarely displayed on the school notice board.

Controlling the Indian community schools, some of which are notorious for charging abnormally high tuition fees from ordinary parents, have been a lucrative business for a coterie of business magnates, representatives of the so called Indian community
associations in connivance with the political babus of the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. A number of ordinary parents have been making hue and cry about the abnormally high fees charged by some of the Indian schools. So far various memorandums, complaints and mass petitions submitted by the concerned parents to the former Indian Ambassadors, visiting politicians and school managements themselves have been receiving cool reception due to the strong influence exerted by this lobby over the decision making process in Oman and India.

There is an utter lack of transparency in the functioning of some of the leading Indian schools in Oman. It is certain are some major problems in the functioning of the schools, which need to be rectified in view of the larger interest of the Indian community.

Reports in leading newspapers -the Times of Oman and Oman Observer-indicated that there are members in the board of governors and school management committees who have exceeded their term of office. Some of the school committee members are not representing the parents as some of them are occupying positions even though their children are not studying there. There is one member who has completed 17 long years in the school management.

The Memorandum of Understandings signed between the Indian Embassy and the promoters of the schools are believed to be not in the best interest of the students, parents or the Indian community and need some re-examinations. Successive Indian Ambassadors, the patron of Indian school has received a number of complaints from parents and members of the Indian community about the abnormally high fees structure and other problems in the community schools. 'It is better that schools remain community schools rather than profit based entities run by individuals.

It is also learned that the level of transparency in the functioning of some of the schools is not upto the mark. Individually sponsored schools are more profit motivated and the school committee members are loyal to the Indian businessman who is promoting the school rather than keeping the larger interest of quality education in a manner beneficial to the Indian community.

Management committee members of some of the schools are more loyal to the businessman who is promoting it rather than to the patron, representing the Indian community or to the parents. The new patron of Indian schools is reportedly studying problems in various schools, especially those in the interior where there are major problems with auditing and financial transparency.

Business lobby dominates School functioning

School Patron --Patronising businessmen

Former Indian Ambassador Satnam Singh was found in the company of big business.

Despite multicrore revenue from Indian schools, they are not making any profit!

The excessive fees charged from ordinary Indian parents is a direct fall out of business interest in school matters. A memorandum submitted to the authorities two years back said: "exorbitant fees are charged by Indian schools. One school is charging even at primary level RO 30 (equivalent to Indian Rupees 3,600) per month. Besides this tuition fee, there are other collections like library fees, laboratory fees, bus fees, returnable without interest compulsory deposit and the like. According to one estimate, the total tuition fees alone collected every month from 14000 students of 3 Indian schools in Muscat area comes to approximately RO 2,90,000 (equivalent to Indian Rupees 2.697 crores ) per month. "Hardly half (RO 1,45,000/-equivalent to Indian Rs. 1.3485 crore of the above fee income is needed to meet a month's total expenses like salaries etc, say one estimate.

'This means RO 1,45,000/- equivalent to Indian Rs.1,34,85,000 could be saved every month. If this much is not saved every month, it appears there is large scale misappropriation of funds. This type of large scale misappropriation, we feel, cannot be easily managed without the involvement of a few big fishes, including a few in New Delhi. Therefore we feel a CBI enquiry is a must and needed to bring out the truth. What is going on here in the name of education is just decoity of ordinary helpless Indians by two businessmen, and this must be stopped at any cost,' the memorandum suggested.

It is unfortunate that the Indian community schools which were started as social service to the expatriate community have become money making instruments in the hands of a handful of influential businessmen. A close examination of the profile of school boards will indicate that their members are dominated by business groups who may be more interested in the business aspects of running a school rather than ensuring quality education at affordable cost or ordinary students. Some of the Indian business families have got their names engraved on the foundatiion stones of schools as having donated fund for school project. but they have been extracting huge amounts in return for this act of charity!

Giving complaints to various Indian government authorities against the high fee structure and other problems in Indian schools have been futile. Complaints submitted even to the Indian Prime Minister's office have been turned down or neglected due to the political influence of businessmen who control Indian schools. Concerned parents and other Indian citizens have been unable to convince the visiting parliament subcommittees and special commissions about some of the crystal clear problems due to unknown reasons. Some of the social organisations who often shed crocodiles tear about high cost of education and airfare to India have been keeping studied silence because some of their officials have been part of the school management committees.

Apparently the political control exerted by the business lobby has been preventing the Middle East office of the Ministry of External Affairs New Delhi from taking any of these petitions seriously. Whenever any ministers, senior politicians or diplomats from India visit the Gulf for studying the problems of ordinary Indians including the education aspects, they were encircled by a coterie of selected Indian businessman who never allowed the concerned public to air their views in a free and frank manner. Those who dare to make complaints are silenced either by harassing their children, who are studying in one of the schools or by creating trouble by othr means. Most of the ordinary parents who desire a peaceful life in the Gulf would never attempt to upset the equation by raising such complaints.

However, there have been people who raised their voice quite often. On June 11, 1998 a strong complaint was made to the Indian Prime Minister's office about the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Indian community schools by the members of the school managing committee constituted by the Indian Ambassador. For several years, the Indian ambassador --the ultimate authority in school matters --had been under the clutches of this powerful business lobby and some sources alleged that the businessmen used their clout in New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram to silence them. The Indian Ambassador and other senior diplomats were always be seen wining and dining in the company of some powerful people.

Random estimates made in one of the complaints (may be a wild guesstimate!), indicated that the amount of money involved in Indian schools exceed Rs. 100 crores! "Unless a CBI inquiry is ordered into the mater the truth will not come out as the people involved highly influential and powerful and the amount involved is a little over Rs.100 crores," said a complaint to the Indian Prime Minister, which received no response at all.

A public complaint dated 19 October 1997, was addressed to the Chairman of the Visiting Indian Parliament Sub-Committee : "We request and suggest that such committees like yours should meet ordinary Indians also, instead of meeting only a few Indians living in ivory towers and picked up by the Indian Embassy here.' Even in the year 2000-2001 there was no change in this biased policy followed by the Indian Ambassador Satnam Singh, who was always found in the company of big businessmen.

When a parliament sub-committee visited Oman and other Gulf countries, the former Indian Ambassador who is currently posted in Cairo, arranged a meeting in one of the leading star hotels in Muscat in which less than 50 people were invited. Even though the Indian community in Oman is more than two lakh strong, a commission which reached Oman spending the ordinary tax payers money, was found wining and dining with the elite businessmen, many of whom are running education business here. Thus, the Indian Embassy and the Ambassador have been deciding whether the public representatives should meet and discuss the problems facing ordinary Indians.

Another pathetic fact is that leading Indian business groups are even able to dictate the candidate for the post of Indian Ambassador in Oman. In order to keep the politicians back home happy, they have inducted the close relatives of some of the leading politicians in the school boards. So there is a strong political angle to the story. Some of the diplomats are also afraid of this lobby's maneouvering with threats of transfer before completing their full term.

'As per the Omani Government Rules, permission for running community schools for expatriates is given by the Omani Government to respective embassies. As per these rules, the community schools are to be run on non-profit making basis and the school fees are to be fixed in such a way that they should be just sufficient for running the schools. The purpose of these Omani Government rules is to see that education is within everybody's reach," said such a complaint way back in 1997. "Despite these rules, with the under-cover help of the Indian Embassy here, education of Indians is monopolised by certain Indian businessmen,' said the complaint.

'Outwardly Indian School look like being run by the School Managing Committee members selected by the Indian Embassy,' the complaint said, suggesting that "the so-called school managing committee members are relatives and close friends of certain Indian businessmen and are selected by the Indian Embassy as per their directive,' said the same complaint, which did not get any official response from New Delhi.

Kerala Cultural Centre (KCC) Members Want Accounts made public

Committee members spend RO 30,000 to buy a scanning machine that does not work

 

Muscat -Many of the former office bearers of Kerala Cultural Centre (KCC) have been clining to power in the Indian School in the name of a dead organisation. Some of the last office bearers of the KCC are the butt of ridicule from many corners as they have faced severe criticism for the dubious manner in which they handled huge amount of surplus funds worth thousands of Rials and other assets of the closed club without disclosing the details for several years...Full Report

 

Police mediate flag hosting in Indian School.

 

Story about dispute between a section of parents and Board Members over disciplinary action against Academic Staff. Vice Principal Threatens to expose board member's Chennai Randevouzs..Read the Full Report

RELATED NEWS

keep visiting this space for more reports.

of school finance

 

Nowadays, the conservative Gulf media is full of sensational stories about mismanagement in various Indian schools...Recent news breaks by leading Indian journalists are the following...

 

CONSTITUTION OF INDIAN SCHOOLS

The Oman Daily Observer, one of the leading English dailies from Muscat carried the following report...

In line with Oman's drive to improve transparency and accountability, the concerned Indian school authorities have started a reform process.The Indian Ambassador who is the patron of Indian schools in Oman is studying the functioning of various Indian schools in view of a number of complaints received from parents and other quarters about the allegedly high fees structure and lack of financial transparency in some of the schools.

Indian schools set for reforms

Indian Schools Recruitment Procedure under Fire

Interv

iew Board Member demands bribe of Rs.50000 from candidate, Member of a Sohar School allegedly behave immorally with lady candidate Full Report