Srinagar: The in-fight between co-owners of Srinagar British School is being slugged out upon students of 8th standard, at Nowgam Srinagar branch, by denying them roll number slips for exams to happen in two weeks time.
“Around 60 students, of 8th class of SBS, Nowgam Bypass, are suffering and a precious year of education is at stake as the school authorities are denying them the roll number slips,” a grieved parent told INS.
The school has been functioning under the aegis of Srinagar Group of Schools since November, 1995 and according to the insiders, a tussle between the stakeholders of this school has badly affected the functioning of this school.
On Monday, people from the management also manhandled some students of 8th class, who were demanding that their roll number slips be provided as the exams are only ten days away.
“It has been more than a year since some dispute erupted between the owners of this school. This badly affected the studies of our kids and many of us cannot afford the admission of our wards in any other school again now,” another parent complained.
School insiders disclose that police have been doing rounds of the school premises, due to internal clashes in the administration, ‘which at times scares students’.
“We have been paying fees and other charges here in Nowgam school but the other stakeholder, who has managed to set up another office in Rajbagh, has already taken away the records and other documents. They have been threatening us with ruining the career of our kids in case we do not take our children to their Rajbagh office,” parents disclose.
Not only are the parents feeling frustrated but teachers as well are in a panic situation as they second students claim that academic syllabus too ‘could not be completed this year as there have been frequent incidents of verbal brawls among the owners in Nowgam school’.
Parents reveal that the school administration ‘even beat up many male students when they protested against the callous attitude of the school authorities as they are unable to provide the roll number slips, which have been withheld by the other partner in Raj Bagh office unauthorizedly”.
“We have been asked not to keep any sort of correspondence with the Rajbagh office and if any fee is paid by us at that office, it will not be counted for. We were made aware about this through many such circulars sent by the administration in Nowgam school,” group of parents said, adding that the school administration ‘has no answer for the roll number slips as the students are supposed to sit in exams from 25th of this month’.
Another fresh circular sent via SMS to the parents reads: “One person sitting in Rajbagh, has taken the entire school records as hostage and is trying to play mischief with the students of school every now and then just because some people sitting in DIET and BOSE office deal with this person even when they have already been intimated that the person is no longer in control of the school and is UNAUTHORISED”.
“There has been some scuffle in the school administration from some quite long time. The co-owners of this school approached us too and hopefully we will sort this issue out within couple of days. If they do not provide the roll number slips to students on time, we may even go for the de-affiliation of this school”, an official in Directorate of School Education Kashmir said wishing not to be named.
A police official, wishing not to be named, at Police station Rajbagh said that an FIR stands registered against the owners after they had a fight in Rajbagh office.
Another FIR registered against the school owners is at Police station Nowgam. An official, not authorised to speak to media, however said that it is not about school affairs.
“The FIR here is over some property dispute in the family and not particularly about school,” he said .
