With no money to run its affairs, Vidyapeeth school to close down
Gujarat Kumar Vinay Mandir on the campus founded by Gandhi has not received govt grant for past eight years; Registrar writes to employees about the decision
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 05, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010010520100105023730789a29ca187)
With no grant received for the past eight years, the Gujarat Kumar Vinay Mandir school in Gujarat Vidyapeeth may soon close down. Vidyapeeth Registrar Rajendra Khimani has written to employees of the school informing about the possibility of closure.
The letter dated December 19, 2009 mentions that since there has been no grant from the state government to run the school, “we wish to close down this school. The government, if wishes, can accommodate its teachers in other schools. The pay of the teachers and their qualification are at par with the state education department’s grades”.
By Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 05, 2010 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010010520100105023730789a29ca187)
With no grant received for the past eight years, the Gujarat Kumar Vinay Mandir school in Gujarat Vidyapeeth may soon close down. Vidyapeeth Registrar Rajendra Khimani has written to employees of the school informing about the possibility of closure.
The letter dated December 19, 2009 mentions that since there has been no grant from the state government to run the school, “we wish to close down this school. The government, if wishes, can accommodate its teachers in other schools. The pay of the teachers and their qualification are at par with the state education department’s grades”.Founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1935, the school was among the first to try innovative teaching methods. Students of the Mahadevia B Ed College in Vidyapeeth would teach the children here and gain hand-on training. UGC funds to the college were being diverted to run the cash-strapped school. The salaries of the college’s teaching and administrative staff is being taken care of by Vidyapeeth. “Even if we do receive the grant, the whole of it will be used in paying UGC, Khimani says.
Schools receiving state funds undergo a review every three years before fresh money is allocated. There has been no such review for Gujarat Kumar Vinay Mandir for the past eight years.
Khimani says, “In addition to this, there are some staff members who do not work properly. This hurts me a lot as the school used to use interesting, informal concepts to educate students.” Khimani’s letter may demand a closure, but the Registrar doesn’t really want it to shut down. “I hope authorities wake up after the letter,” he said.
Sources say the school has been in controversy for its old style of teaching and differences were brewing between Vidyapeeth management and school staff.
Gujarat Kumar Vinay Mandir, with a hostel, is one of the oldest schools in the city with close to 1,200 students mostly from tribal areas of the state.
