HC upholds Delhi govt's circular to set up PTA in schools

The Delhi High Court has upheld a city government circular issuing guidelines to set up Parents-Teachers Associations (PTA) in all aided and unaided schools, saying this is also applicable to minority schools.
"The writ petitions are disposed of with the direction that the circular of April 12, 2010 shall be made applicable, to the minority school... But the Parents-Teachers Association of the school would not be competent to elect one of the parents to be a member of the managing committee of the school in case such a parent is nominated by the society which runs the school to be a member of the managing committee," Justice V K Jain said.

The court order came on two different petitions- one of Faith Academy, in which it sought its direction to quash the circular on the ground that it is not applicable to minority schools.
The school further sought an order directing the government to withdraw the circular saying it is violative of Article 30 (rights of minorities to establish educational institutions) of the Constitution.
The court also accepted another petition which is a counter plea, filed by Faith Academy's parents, for a direction to all the schools including Faith Academy to set up PTA in compliance with the Directorate of Education's circular.

In the plea, filed through advocate Ashok Agarwal, the parents sought for a direction to schools allow PTA to elect one of the parents for school's managing committee.
The court made it clear that in other schools, PTA will elect a parent for school's managing committee but in the case of minority schools, the society which runs the school will have the liberty to nominate a parent for the panel.
The parents also sought "stringent action" in accordance with the Delhi School Education Act against those schools and their managements which fail to comply such directions.