Parents of the students enrolled at the Delhi Public School (East) near here on Monday expressed anger at the CBSE cancelling the affiliation of the school and accused the Gujarat government of not stepping in in time.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Sunday announced withdrawal of the affiliation of the school, located at Hirapur near Ahmedabad, with "immediate effect" for leasing out land to controversial godman Swami Nithyananda for his ashram.
A day after the CBSE order, which referred to a report submitted by the state government stating that the school had produced a "forged NOC", parents gathered outside the school campus and alleged the government "failed" to take action against the school before the Nithyananda row erupted.
The CBSE had recently sought a report from the state education department seeking explanation on how the school land was leased to the ashram without the board's permission, after cases of children enrolled there (ashram) being illegally withheld came to light.
Nithyananda and his two disciples are facing the charges of kidnapping and wrongful confinement of children under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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Parents said they would launch a united fight against the state government and may take a legal recourse to ensure that education of their wards does not get affected due to the CBSE order.
There are 800 students enrolled at the school.
"We came to know from media that affiliation of the school has been cancelled. We want to ensure that our wards study here and nowhere else. We do not care whether the management of the school is arrested or changed," said Shoeb Sheikh, one of the parents.
If the state government knew that the school did not have the NOC then why it didn't take action against the school management? he questionned.
"We are not ready to shift our students to any other random school," Sheikh said.
When asked about future course of action, Sheikh said parents will meet ministers concerned and education department officials.
"The fault lies with the government which audits schools every year. The government can cancel the affiliation of the school if it wants but then it should take it over and let students continue to study in the same school," said another parent.
While cancelling affiliation of the school, the CBSE, however, allowed students of classes 10 and 12 to appear for the Board's examination in the year 2020, and shifting of students of classes 9 and 11 to nearby CBSE-affiliated schools.
"However, keeping in view the academic interests of the students, the registered bonafide students of Class X and XII (for session 2019-20) are allowed to appear in Board's examination to be conducted in the year 2020.
"The registered bonafide students of class IX and XI shall be shifted to nearby affiliated schools of the Board, to be decided by the regional office, Ajmer," stated the order.
School principal Hitesh Puri cannot be contacted.
The CBSE had noted that "the school had also said the land allocated to the religious institution is not part of school premises. The statement is contradictory to the findings of the state education department".
Meanwhile, disciples and staff of the Nithyananda ashram located on the premises of the school have left with their luggage reportedly for the Bengaluru ashram, after the school asked them to vacate the place.
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