Governor summons HS Council chief over gherao in schools

Governor M K Narayanan on Monday asked the chief of the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education to meet him regarding the recent fiasco in schools, where students who had failed in examinations were gheraoing teachers to demand pass marks.

Narayanan was speaking on the sidelines of the convocation at Jadavpur University. "I have asked Higher Secondary Council president Muktinath Chatterje to meet me. I can only elaborate after I have spoken to him," he said, adding that the council should be firm in taking decisions.

The governor's reaction came in the wake of gherao of principals and teachers by students who failed to qualify for appearance in board examination. A fresh row erupted after the education department gave a clean chit to the Higher Education Council at a time when the council has been criticised for taking examination sheets from Rishi Aurobindo Vidyapith at Santoshpur for recheck two days ago.

When contacted, Higher Education Council president Chatterjee said he is yet to get an official letter regarding the meeting with the governor.

Meanwhile, at Aluliah school in Ranaghat, students gheraoed the principal and demanded that they be allowed to sit for the examination.

Condemning the intrusion of politics in campuses which might be seen as one of the reasons for universities lagging behind, the governor, also the Chancellor of the university, said during the convocation, "Unfortunately the universities have become conflict-prone. Politics is welcome in campuses if limited to debates. But when politics spills onto the streets, it becomes a serious hindrance for education."

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