HC asks secondary education director to decide private schools’ plea on winter break

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday ordered the director of secondary education, Haryana, to take a decision on the representation of private un-aided schools in the state against 'compulsory' closure during the winter break.
The director has been asked to pass a speaking order on the issue on January 1, 2018, by 1 pm. Justice Sudhir Mittal passed these orders after hearing a petition filed by NISA Education through its president, Kulbhushan Sharma of Ambala Cantonment.

The petitioner society, which is the association of various private schools across Haryana, said it was aggrieved by the December 22 government order asking all the schools in the state to observe winter vacation from December 25, 2017 to January 8, 2018.

It was submitted that according to the Haryana School Education Rules 2003, a total of 220 working days were mandatory for schools but this year owing to public violence in caused by the followers of Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh in the month of August, the schools had not been able to complete the mandated period, therefore, they wished to curtail the winter vacation.

The petitioner had sought directions to set aside the December 22 orders on the grounds that there was no acute winter and weather was clear this time and a long vacation spell could hamper the completion of academic syllabus.

It was argued that very less time was available for completion of syllabus from Class IX to Class XII onwards, with the board examination for Class X and Class XII starting in February and March, 2018. Students would not able to complete their syllabus and would affect their academic achievement, it argued.

"Directions to grant the flexibility to the member schools of the petitioner association to close their schools as and when acute winter starts and the school management feels that the season is creating an impediment for the students in their smooth study, they will declare the holiday in their schools with the prior approval of the respective DEOs/BEOs of the district", argued the petitioners body.

After hearing the case, the HC found that the petitioner had approached the court without making any representation to the education department.

"Keeping in view the above, the petitioner is permitted to make a representation today itself, to the director, who will pass a speaking order thereupon on January 1, 2018 by 1 pm", ordered Justice Mittal while disposing of the petition.