Schools, Colleges: MPs can't head governing bodies unelected: SC

The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a High Court verdict that had scrapped the rules allowing lawmakers to become the governing body heads of private schools and colleges without being elected.

No member of parliament can be the chairman of any of the country's 18,500 privately run secondary schools and colleges without elections following the apex court order.

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The Appellate Division of the SC affirmed the HC directive that had asked the government to take necessary steps within two months for amending the provisions of the regulations that permitted lawmakers to be chairman of the governing bodies.

It also justified the HC order that had asked the authorities concerned of the government to form ad-hoc committees for non-government educational institutions, including Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Dhaka, where special governing bodies were running earlier, within 30 days for electing their regular governing bodies.

The four-member ad-hoc committees, each to be headed by a government official, were directed to form by the HC to hold elections within six months.

Yesterday, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha dismissed three leave to appeal petitions filed by the authorities concerned of the government and Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, challenging the HC judgment.

Following two writ petitions, the HC on June 1 declared the provisions of Non-government Educational Institutions Governing Body Regulations-2009 illegal.

Eunus Ali Akond, who filed and moved the writ petitions, told The Daily Star that without being elected, lawmakers cannot be the head of the governing body of any private educational institutions from now on.

The lawmakers, however, can become the heads of the governing bodies if they are voted in, he said.

The government has formed ad-hoc committees for many institutions, including Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, after the HC had delivered the verdict, but no election was held at any institutions for electing their governing bodies, he said.

Eunus also said he would move a contempt of court petition before the HC against the authorities concerned of the government, as they did not yet amend the Non-government Educational Institutions Governing Body Regulations-2009.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who appeared for the government and Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, refused to comment on the issue.

Eunus filed the two separate writ petitions with the HC, challenging the legality of Non-government Educational Institutions Governing Body Regulations-2009 and the legality of special governing body, led by Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon for Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.