Row after Mansa schools’ body says no admission for wards of peddlers
A newly-formed Private Unaided Schools' Association in Mansa, India, proposed banning the admission of children whose parents are charged with drug peddling. The association claims it has around 100 affiliated schools as members. However, the decision was later reviewed following intervention by local district authorities. The association said it wanted to build moral pressure on parents involved in drug dealing, which is a major problem in Punjab.
Newly-constituted Private Unaided Schools’ Association in Mansa on Monday proposed to ban the admission of children whose parents are charged with drug peddling.
Within hours of passing the resolution unanimously, the body of school owners was forced to announce a review of the decision after the district authorities intervened.
The association, which was floated in the last week of May, claims to have about 100 schools affiliated with various boards as its members.
Association patron Pawan Matti said the school managers intend to build a moral pressure on the parents engaged in illegal drug trade.
He said it was proposed that children of the convicts and undertrials in NDPS cases should be audited before allowing them to pursue schools.
“Drug abuse is a serious problem in Punjab and young school-going children are found addicted to it. We felt it important to put a check on those involved in drug business in any manner. During the first meeting on Monday, the issue to bar wards of drug peddlers was discussed and it was decided that the schools should form a mechanism to retrain entry of children from such families,” said Matti.
He said the district authorities approached the association through officials of the education department after which it was decided to review the proposal.
“Another meeting will be held later this week to review the issue,” added the patron.
Officiating deputy commissioner of Mansa T Benith did not respond to repeated phone calls.
Defending the decision, senior vice-president of the association Suresh Singla said some kind of check is needed to mount pressure on drug peddlers to curb the nuisance of narcotics.
“We do not intend to snatch the right of a child to get education but there should be a strong mechanism to teach a lesson to peddlers. The Punjab government and education department are also the stakeholders in the education sector, and it is for us all to finalise if such children should be expelled, denied admission, fined or any other step should be taken,” he added.
