Sugathan Gopalan Refutes Allegations, Says Charges Framed to Sideline Important Issues affecting School Functioning Mounting Fee Defaults, New Committe Members Enjoy Five Star Parties November 19, 2002. KM reported earlier about the high rent payment made to hire a new building by the Indian School Darsait. The School patron had also raised the issue during the inaugural function attended by several parents and school board members. "Ordinary parents cannot afford to pay such huge amount of fees. The cost of the building would have been more rational and economic," the School patron said in his speech during the building inauguration.
According to school sources, there are several poor parents who cannot afford to pay even the regularly monthly fees. While seven students are yet to pay last years fees (2001-2002), 25 students in the first quarter and 273 students in the second quarter could not make their fees payment on time. This shows that many more parents find it difficult to meet the educational expenses of their children from their regular income. Due to job loss and declining business, economic situatiuon of ordinary Indian parents has been deteriorating, as is reflected in the high level of fees default. The school principal used to take severe punitive measures against students who cannot afford to pay fees and thus default in paymnet, by forcing them stand outside the class room. Is it not a public humiliation of poor students?
The school authorities claim that they give fee concession to a large number of students, but still there are many parents who are not able to make fee payment. Indian community schools are supposed to be non-profit organisations and a rational spending structure can reduce the burden on ordinary parents. At the cost of parents the management committee members (including Sugathan Gopalan) were recently wining and dining in a Five Star Hotel to celebrate Teachers Day! Some parents of one of the Indian schools here have approached the School patron, demanding that the school fees should not be reduced because it will "affect the quality of education." Do you think that by wasting money by paying inflated rent to the builder and holding parties in five star hotels, one can improve the quality of education.!
KM understands that the committee members want a smooth sailing in implementing more projects. "Immediately after taking a new building at 6,000 Rials per month, the MC has given another contract to convert six class rooms on the second floor of the main building into three laboratories." The total expenditure for this project is around RO 7,600 (equivalent to Rs.8.5 lakh Indian rupees). A teachers party held recently in a five star hotel to celebrate the Teachers Day cost nearly Rs. 1 lakh. While the new school management committee members who are appointed to look after the children's welfare are enjoying life, there are many parents who cannot afford to pay normal fees. A parent, Mr.Jacob has been unable to pay his fees for two students and is given ultimatum till November 30 to pay the pending fees. Is there any change in the way Indian schools are functioning here? Are the MC is engaged in a spending spree to deplete more than RO 2.5 lakh surplus school funds before their term comes to an end?
Some of the serious issues that need to be reviewed include the"lavish and irrational expenditure" of school resources, especially the sharp increase the monthly rental outgo from the school coffers to the tune of RO 12,000 per month, which is more than 50 per cent increase when the number of students in the school has remained static.Now the approach road to the new building is in a mess and during a rainy season, it can be proved fatal for small children of KG classes. When the school is paying huge amount as rent, they should ensure that the surrounding roads are safe for the school children. When the building owner is charging hefty amounts as rent, is the school responsible for making the additional infrastructure from its own resources?
The Kerala Wing, which has been very vocal about the common parents, has now got a new representative in the MC. Despite their rhetorics about the common man, they have also joined the mainstream school business lobby?
Sugathan Gopalan Refutes Allegations, Says Charges Framed to Sideline Important Issues affecting School Functioning
November 19, 2002. The Indian School Darsait Management Committee meeting witnessed a stormy session as the meeting was adjourned following heated arguments between Sugathan Gopalan on one side and other committee members opposing him. This followed serious counter allegations made by Sugathan in a letter to the school president. Sugathan Gopalan was accused of entering the school committee meeting under the influence of alcohol and shouting at the members.
The Controversial Man Sugathan Gopalan. However, the member has disputed all the allegations and said in a letter submitted to the Indian Ambassador on November 16th, 2002 that the entire story is "fabricated" by the majority of school committee members who are trying to divert public attention from some other major issues, especially about the inflated rent given to a new building,. He had raised the issue in various meetings of the ISD management committee . "Since I have been inducted as a member of the Management Committee of the ISD, I have observed that some of the school management committee members are misguiding others to misuse the school fund and to run the school with out meeting the educational rules," he said in his letter.
According to one report, Sugathan Gopalan allegedly gate-crashed in one of the committee meeting and abused all members. After experiencing such a "rude and insulting behavior," as the portal put it, all the committee members had written a letter to K.M. Meena, the Indian Ambassador and the Patron of the school complaining about the behavior of Mr. Sugathan Gopalan. According to the report, the Patron did not take any action on the complaint.
All complaints made against him now and inthe past were intended to prevent him from becoming a member of ISD. Even the former First Secretary who was in charge of the Indian School Affairs wanted to use the artificial complaint files against Gopalan's entry into the school MC. It was due to media reports highlighting his plight of running from pillar to post to get into the ISD committee for ten years that the new patron gave him a berth in the new MC.
Quoting educational rules, Sugathan said that a class room for 45 students require only 49 square meters of space. In the new building instead of taking 1.5 or 2 square meter per student, the MC has taken 4 square meter per student. When converted into rent, its burden on the ordinary Indian school parents is very high. "They could very well accommodate the laboratory in the new building. When space is lying vacant in the new building, another contract is given to make school laboratory," Sugathan added. the former members of the School committee should be held liable for the financial burden, he argued in the meetings. The school overhead expenses have increased by 50 per cent.
The Indian Ambassador K.M.Meena has sought representation from the two parties . The dispute has been going on from the very beginning because the other new members have allegedly sided with the previous committee members or remained silent about the high rent payment. Sugathan was inducted into the school committee after a gap of ten years because all the former embassy staff and diplomats were taking a partisan stand, he alleged. Even the committee members representing the ISC Kerala Wing, which is more vocal about the ordinary school parents have been silent about the rent issue.
In the School MC which met yesterday all other members, have termed his allegations as baseless and irresponsible. According to the other MC members, Sugathan Gopalan is warned of making such wild propositions. The meeting witnessed a heated debate, causing the MC meeting to an adjournment of the meeting.
Liquor Permit to Principal Need to be Reviewed
November 19, 2002. According to a report in a news portal, the ISD Management committee members have demanded the immediate removal of Sugathan Gopalan from the school committee. In his counter representation to the school patron, he has urged the Indian Ambassador to remove some of the ISD Management Committee members who have exceeded their six year term in the committee.
The controversy also raises a big question mark about the logic of giving liquor permits to Indian school principals. According to the letter submitted to the Indian Ambassador, the school principal has allegedly violated the educational rules and obtained a liquor permit. Most of the Indian School principals are eligible to get liquor permits but the issue is whether such a practice contradicts the moral side of education which they impart to the new generation. While KM would leave it to the discretion of individual school managements to set moral standards for teachers and principals, the issue needs to be reviewed by the school patron. It may be recalled that earlier a bar was functioning near the Indian School Muscat school premises. Due to strong opposition, the bar operating from the Indian Social Club premises was closed down. The whole issue of liquor versus educational institutions, committee and board members needs to be reviewed.
Quoting the Kerala Education Rules and Acts, Chapter 14, C Conduct Rules, No. 64, he said "subject to the provisions of any law relating to intoxicating drinks or drugs for the time being in force in any any area no teacher shall while on duty, be under the influence of such drinks or drugs; or appear in public places in a state of intoxication; of habitually use such drinks or drugs."
Countering the allegations of entering the school premises in a drunken manner, the MC member has raised question marks about the policy of giving liquor permits to Indian School principals, who are supposed to be a role model for the thousands of students. The letter added that the School principal is supposed to retire at the age of 55, if the school is following Kerala Education Rules. The letter contains several other wild allegations, which KM is no reporting here due to their sensitive nature. KM would reiterate once again that the portal will not take sides and report events as it is happening. However, we will keep the larger interest of the Indian community in mind while reporting the school stories. If any member of the School MC is found in an intoxicated mood within the school premises should be sacked immediately. However, such steps can be taken only after verifying the allegations.
Create Own Building for Kerala Stream School and pay RO 72,000 per year as Rent for vacant classrooms.
KM Special
Former Management Committee adds avoidable financial burden to have "Own Building" for the Kerala Stream School by hiring a new multistoried building at RO 72,000 per year compared to just RO 6200 per year paid to a rented building. Full Report
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