RIYADH, 5 April 2005 — The Indian Embassy has sought the intervention of the Ministry of Education on a representation made by four of the seven members of Management Committee (MC) of the Indian International School, Riyadh against school Chairman Niaz Ahmed Khan.

In a letter addressed to Indian Ambassador M.O.H Farook, the four members urged him to hold an impartial inquiry into alleged malpractices and elect a new chairman in place of Khan. Detailing the irregularities, the group alleged that the chairman had inducted a new member to the board of management in place of an outgoing member without the official approval of the Ministry of Education.

Indicating malpractices at the recently concluded CBSE examination held at the school, the petitioners have alleged that the chairman had protected those who were involved in helping their favorite students.

The chairman had also appointed a vice principal without holding a proper interview and awarded school’s medical insurance contract to a private company without following the customary procedures of the school, the four charged.

They said the chairman has not called a single meeting of the MC for the past eight months to discuss the school’s administrative affairs. In December last year, he summoned a meeting of the MC only to elect its chairman,” it was alleged.

“A group of members of the school’s Management Committee has made representations. The mission cannot take any direct action in this matter, therefore I have referred it to the Ministry of Education,” Ambassador Farook told Arab News. The ministry’ regulations do not allow foreign missions to interfere in school affairs.

Reacting to the MC members’ allegations, a parent who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Arab News that the petitioners were the very people who had elected Khan unanimously as chairman three months ago. “If their allegations are true, I cannot understand why Khan was re-elected by the same members,” he asked .

When contacted, Khan said he did not want to make any statement “at this time when things are not clear to me.”