JEDDAH, 6 June 2005 — Parents of children studying at International Indian School-Jeddah (IISJ) have wholeheartedly welcomed the postponement of election to the school managing committee (MC).
“There could not have been a better decision as parents in general have shown total disinterest or inability to contest election for the MC,” Muhammad Naeem, an Aziziyah parent whose four children study at the school, told Arab News yesterday.
The school has announced the postponement of the election, which was due on June 17, to a “later date.” The postponement, which follows instructions from the Ministry of Education (MOE), is attributed to the “insufficient number of nominations” received from eligible parents to contest for the MC. The last date for receiving nomination forms is now extended up to June 18.
The school is closed for summer vacation from June 23 and is due to reopen in the last week of August.
“Only thereafter the MC election can be organized,” school sources said.
“What’s also contributing to the low number of nominations is the set of stringent conditions of eligibility,” said Abdul Ghafour Moideen, whose two daughters and a son are enrolled in the school.
One of the conditions is that candidates must submit along with the application a consent of his employer or sponsor duly attested by the chamber of commerce and industry in which the sponsor should clearly state that he is agreeable for the active anticipation of the candidate in the school MC meetings and that he will be allowed without reservation to attend the monthly meetings or emergency meeting at short notice.
“Wonder how many candidates can furnish such consent letters from their sponsors,” Yasmin Abdul Malik, a Faisaliah parent said. “Obviously, no sponsor or employer would want his employee to spend office or factory time attending MC meetings,” she said.
Ibrahim M. Koya of downtown Balad, who has two children at the school, disputes her contention.
“It’s not difficult to get such consent letters from the sponsors. Few candidates have done now and many have done in the past. Which means the real reason is different. Parents in general are apathetic to contest because the school building is mired in controversy. The detention of former MC chairman is also still fresh in their minds,” he said.
The postponement has drawn widespread approval. “The ministry has rightly realized that this would have been a non-election. Now is the time for all right thinking, educated, capable and secular-minded parents to come forward and file nominations in a big way to make this whole electoral exercise worthwhile. Remember, it is the school’s money that is being used to conduct these elections,” said Atheequr Rahman, whose son studies at the school’s Boys’ Section.
“Now it is up to the parent community to correct this anomaly. They should encourage the right people to file nominations. This is our school. We should not allow partisan people or persons with vested interest to make a mockery of the democratic process,” said Faizan Habib, whose nephew studies at the school.
Zaki Muhammad Farooq, another parent, was, however, not sure if the community will make use of the extension of deadline for filing nominations.
“Parents coming from non-controversial and decent background feel elections are a waste of time and that it is for those who have plenty of time to spare. Ideally, the ministry should appoint, select or nominate high-ranking Indians who come from sound financial background to run the Indian school,” he said.
Rukhsana Habib, who taught at the school’s Girls’ Section at one time, felt people with political aspirations should be kept away from the school committees.
“We have no dearth of people with excellent academic record who can run this institution with aplomb. Let the community nominate them.
“Let them approach the Indian Consulate and the Education Ministry to arrive at a good solution. The way things have happened, the school has been split on regional lines. Good teachers are feeling the heat because of this politicking and as a result the children are suffering.
“Elections are not the answer at all. There is no guarantee that good people would want to contest elections. Why will a manager of a top company bother to contest school elections? He would rather like to be nominated,” she said.
