East Delhi school accused of forgery loses recognition

The Directorate of Education (DoE) has withdrawn recognition of an east Delhi school for allegedly indulging in forgery and issuing school leaving certificates (SLCs) to students of two other schools that have recognition only till Class V.

DoE officials said St Gee Varghese Public School in Kalyanvas was allegedly issuing SLCs to students studying in classes VI-VIII of two schools — Mother Marry Public School in Mandawali, and New Indraprastha Public School, East Vinod Nagar. Officials said both schools, recognised only up to Class V by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, have been illegally running classes up to Class X.

School authorities could not be reached for comment on the matter. The DoE has withdrawn recognition — granted in 1989-90 — from this academic session and has advised parents not to approach the school for admissions. The action was taken by the department following a complaint by a resident, Joginder Singh. In his complaint, Singh claimed that St Gee Varghese Public School’s building was in a poor state and was not running from the same building for which it had got recognition.

Section 55 of the Delhi School Education Act & Rules (DSEAR), 1973, states that prior approval from the DoE is required before shifting the school to a new location: “If a recognised school ceases to function; or is shifted to a different locality; or is transferred to a different trust, society, individual or a group of individuals; without previous approval of the appropriate authority, its recognition shall lapse on such censer, shifting or transfer, as the case may be… It shall, for the purpose of future recognition, be treated as a new school.”

In 2014, officials said the district education office had conducted an inquiry against the school. An inquiry committee found that the school, in its records, had shown ghost employees as well as students, and that there was just one attendance register for students from nursery to Class VIII. The DoE issued a showcause notice to the school management in 2017 to explain the anomalies. While the school had denied the other allegations, it said that the building was in poor shape and required repair. Hence, a nearby building was taken on rent and students of classes VI-VIII were shifted there.

“The school violated many provisions of the DSEAR. We have been conducting an inquiry since 2014. Despite issuing a showcause notice, the school failed to comply. Action had to be initiated,” a senior DoE official said. The committee had also verified the SLC of a child studying in Mother Marry Public School and found that it was issued by St Gee Varghese Public School.
News Source (Indian Express)