KINS Desk
Srinagar, June 15: Closure of Delhi Public School Budgam for two consecutive days for the tussle between its school bus drivers and the administration has taken a serious toll on the education of the students besides leaving the parents in large numbers fuming. The parents have questioned the school authorities decision of keeping the institute closed for two consecutive days stating that the move has caused a great inconvenience to them even as they pay a considerable amount as the school bus fee for their children studying in the institute.
Shabir Ahmed, a parent, whose three children study in DPS Budgam said that he has been getting text message for the past two days that school will remain closed and the issue will be sorted out soon. “Dear, Parent, Due to potential strike call by some senior school teachers and bus drivers, the school be closed tomorrow. We will meet staff tomorrow to sort out matters. We will keep you updated.” This is the text of the message sent to the parents on first day of closure.
On the second day (ie. Friday) the school administration sent another text to parents of children studying in DPS Budgam. “Dear Parent, We regret the school will not open tomorrow. We are doing our best to resolve the issue.”
Another parent, Imtiyaz Ahmed said that the decision of school authorities to keep the school closed has caused a great inconvenience to all parents besides the move has taken a serious toll on the education and career of children. “Will the school authorities compensate the school bus fee for keeping the school closed for two consecutive days? Will they repay the amount to us,” Ahmed questioned, and termed the school authorities’ failure to address the issue with its drivers and staff as
“unfortunate and ironical.”
A bus driver of the DPS Budgam told Kashmir Indepth that the administration has been playing tricks with them since past several years. “The teaching and other staff that was appointed with us started their salary from Rs 20,000 and today, they are getting more than Rs 50,000 and we are not against it. But the question is that we continued to get Rs 8,000 to 10,000 as our monthly salary which is not enough given the nature of work we do,” the driver said, wishing not to be named. “It is not easy to pick and drop each and every student safely six days a week. We decided to go for a strike until our issues are resolved.”
Talking to Kashmir Indepth, a senior official at the district administration Budgam, said that they have taken a serious note of the issue. “We have directed the chief education officer (CEO) Budgam, to look into the complaints of parents and if the institute is found involved in putting the career of students at a risk and causing problems for the parents, strict action will follow,” the official said.
Meanwhile, many parents complained that the helpline numbers of DPS Budgam that otherwise would remain open for any sort of assistance to parents and students, are coming as “switched off” since past two days, adding more to their woes.
