Schools and Colleges are sacred Temples of learning imparting knowledge and grooming students to be future pillars of our nation.
Sadly over the last few years running these educational institutions is turning into a business enterprise with all and sundry vying to seize it as a golden goose. Centers of learning cannot be reduced to dens of business opportunities.
The Rosary High School at Miramar, the ownership of which has been taken over by Tony Rodrigues who himself is incapable of reading and writing is a glaring example as to how an educational institution has been usurped over as a business venture.
Though the absolutely uneducated Tony Rodrigues who chose slaughtering of pigs as his initial profession might have had a good innings as a politician and even became the Mayor of Panaji but managing a school is all together a different ball game. A mission impossible without at least the basic academic qualifications.
Tony Rodrigues after buying over the Rosary High School is now the Chairman of Executive Committee of the Rosary Education Society. Ironically the academically totally blank Tony Rodrigues is also the Chairman of the Rosary High School Managing Committee.
Section 21 of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 (RTE), mandates the formation of School Management Committee (SMC) to monitor the working of the school, prepare and recommend school development plan, monitor the utilization of the grants received from the government. Implementation of the RTE directives ought to be examined and especially funds utilization has to be scrutinized to ensure that those heading the Educational institution have not pocketed funds meant for the students and welfare of education.
Sadly this role is being played by Tony Rodrigues, someone who himself never went to school and more importantly does not know to read and write. God Save Our Students.
However, a ray of hope is that the Director of Education has assured a detailed inquiry into the financial and other irregularities at the Rosary High School now being mismanaged by Tony Rodrigues as a business cum family undertaking. Tony Rodrigues is facing serious charges amongst others of extorting unlawful donations from parents besides forcing students to sell illegal lotteries which the rules do not permit.
