Editorial
Governing bodies of schools and colleges
These impede rather than foster their growth
To achieve the goal of quality education, governing bodies or managing committees of educational institutions have a crucial role to play.
Conversely, depending on how such bodies are formed and who those are manned by they can be a liability for an educational institution.
No particular standards have been set so far to determine who should qualify for becoming the members and chairmen of the governing bodies of schools and colleges.
Two sets of people usually take advantage of the situation and influence the formation of the governing bodies. First, influential persons of the locality or ruling party loyalists. Second, lawmakers of local constituencies. They exercise control from choosing governing body members and chairmen to appointing teachers.
Unfortunately, through their interference in selection and appointment, the legislators often stifle the growth of professionalism in these institutions.
These factors are largely to blame for widespread corruption in the administration of these educational institutions as well as poor quality of the teaching staff and education as such.
This is true of all schools and colleges of the country regardless of their being government or non-government ones.
At a seminar held in the city to address the issue, speakers underscored the need for manning the government bodies of the schools and colleges with qualified people. To this end, they suggested that the members and chairmen of the governing or management bodies should have at least higher secondary or graduation certificates. The education minister laid particular emphasis on the 'mindset' or motivation of the people who would run these bodies.
The importance of selecting people of good credentials, neutrality and probity and with adequate educational qualifications need not be overemphasised.
We would, therefore, urge the government to look into this unhelpful culture and take necessary measures to rid our educational institutions of political influence, mismanagement and corruption.
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