West Bengal Christian Schools demand separate Secretariat

Christian schools in Kolkata and across West Bengal state want a separate secretariat in the state education department for smooth functioning of the schools’ administration.

On Saturday, 25th August, representatives of 88 church bodies overlooking 700–odd missionary run schools in the state decided to place their demand before the state government after a meeting at Don Bosco, Park Circus as they felt there is a need of a separate wing to ensure smooth functioning of the schools.

“If the government can have a directorate in the education department exclusively for managing state–aided Anglo–Indian schools and a department for madarsas, there is no reason why there should not be a secretariat for the Christian missionary–run schools,” said Herod Mullick, the general secretary of Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, which represents the 88 church bodies.

Nearly 350 of the missionary schools are government–aided. But as they fall under the category of minority institutions, several government decisions and orders do not include them and are meant only for the 12,000–odd non–minority schools.

The church members said the schools are often unaware of which officer to approach when they have a doubt over a decision or order. A separate secretariat would solve the problem, they argued.

“We need to interact with the government every now and then for running our schools, which receive state assistance. A separate branch… will ease our problems to a great extent,” said Father Faustine Brank, who heads the education cell of Bangiya Christiya Pariseba.

He said a team of representatives would meet school education minister Partha De this week and submit the proposal.

In it, the schools will also urge the government to finalise its decision on an earlier demand of the state–aided missionary schools concerning waiving of reservation rules while recruiting teachers.