Parent-teacher associations in unaided schools should convene at least three times a year, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has said.
A single bench of commission member Reni Antony issued the directive on a petition from a Kollam parent whose child was a student of Sreenarayana Public School, near Mevaram bypass.
The petitioner had alleged that on the day of his son’s admission to class 1, he found total lack of coordination among school bus staff and the school authorities, and when this was pointed out to the senior Principal, he spoke angrily. Not enough attention was paid to safety and security of students, and the school parent-teacher association did not meet, the parent had alleged.
The Principal, however, denied the allegations, saying children were ushered into classrooms by the school staff and no child would go missing in the school. He said he was busy and stressed on the school opening day, and reacted on hearing the parent’s complaints.
The commission observed that PTAs were non-functional in some private schools or existed only in name. School authorities included those whom they favoured on such panels, and parents did not have any voice. There was need for effective communication between parents and teachers, and PTAs or school management committees (SMCs) should have discussions that enable development of children in a democratic and healthy environment.
The parents’ right to express their opinions should be ensured by the Chief Secretary, General Education Principal Secretary, and the Director of General Education, the commission said.
The school Principal and the CBSE Regional Officer, Thiruvananthapuram, should make sure that a PTA was set up at Sreenarayana Public School and it functioned in a democratic manner.
