UP govt school observing Friday closure for 10 years, probe ordered
GORAKHPUR: Deoria district magistrate Sujit Kumar ordered a probe after it was found that the government-run Navalpur primary school was observing weekly closure every Friday, instead of Sunday, since its inception in 2008, officials said.
The school had been following the practice for the last ten years as over 90% of the students were Muslims and their parents wanted the school to remain closed on Friday for Juma Namaz (prayer), school principal Khursheed Ahmed told basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) Santosh Kumar Dev, who was asked by DM to probe the matter and submit a report in three days.
“Closing the school on Friday, instead of Sunday, without any official permission is a very serious issue. The BSA has been asked to submit a report. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty,” district magistrate Sujit Kumar said.
The district administration swung into action after an anonymous caller informed block education officer (Salempur) Gyan Chandra Mishra on Friday that school authorities were keeping the government school closed on Friday instead of Sunday, “to please Muslims in the area”.
Taking a serious note of the complaint, Mishra sent two officials to assess the situation. When the officials reached the site, they found the school closed and the signage there describing the institution as Islamia School Navalpur, instead of Navalpur Prathmik Vidyalaya, its official name.
The BSA then called the principal with all relevant documents. The principal revealed that the practice had been continuing since 2008 when he joined service there. Documentation, including class attendance , were found have to have done in Urdu , the BSA said.
Even though mid day meal records showed zero attendance of children on Fridays, no official had taken cognizance of the matter so far despite the fact MDM records are sent to higher authorities regularly, people familiar with the matter said.
The block education officer said though the board carried the name Islamia School, the actual name Navalpur Prathmik Vidyalya was used for all communication and correspondence and transfer certificates were issued in Hindi.
Closing the school on Friday, instead of Sunday, without any official permission is a very serious issue. The BSA has been asked to submit a report. Strict action will be taken against those found guilty SUJIT KUMAR, district magistrate