Serious allegations of irregularities raised against Indian school (IIPS), Riyadh

RIYADH: Alleged serious irregularities in the functioning of the Riyadh-based International Indian Public School (Seva School) have rocked the last days of the pre-summer academic session with a large number of parents demanding a probe into the malpractices of the school management committee. They have also called for the immediate termination of the IIPS managing committee.

This cross-section of parents has raised serious allegations of widespread irregularities, corruption, and embezzlement of funds at Seva school. The parents have appealed to the patron of the school to set up a panel to probe the corruption and the malpractices. The irregularities committed by the managing committee have put a question mark on the fate of over 1400 students, currently on the rolls of the IIPS.

“The school reserve fund of about SR15 million is also not in safe hands if committee members are allowed to run the school as per their whims and fancy,” said a parent. Referring to the irregularities, another parent Abrar Hussain said: “The school committee, which has the mandate to provide an institutional structure and policy plan, is grossly involved in malpractices and mismanagement.”

He called on the patron of Indian schools to immediately suspend the Seva school committee. The management committee is not following the norms in hiring and firing school staff, which is also evident from the termination of the previous school principal. “The school managing committee has turned IIPS Seva School into a corrupt, lawless place. Staff are silenced through iqama threats. Funds are diverted, rules ignored, and fake roles assigned. For the sake of students and staff, the SMC must be removed immediately,” said another parent Sageer Ahmed.

Another parent Abdul Sami echoed the same views and said that “Seva School is sinking under SMC’s misrule, misuse of funds are rampant. Staff faces threats over iqama renewal to force them to stay silent. This is a betrayal of trust. Urgent investigation and SMC dissolution are need of the hour.” The number of teachers and administrative staff, whose number exceeds 130, are wilting under the pressure of the committee.

A case of bribery by a civil contractor has also come into the limelight, while the proposed rental hike of the school building to the tune of about SR4.5 million is the talk of the town. The rent, according to reliable sources, is being negotiated that smacks of misappropriation and embezzlement of funds. To this end, a parent named Wasif mentioned that “the IIPS Seva School is plagued by corruption and illegal activity under the committee.

“The school committee must be dissolved immediately to restore accountability,” said parents, while voicing concerns. The parents have also accused some members of the management committee do not having their degrees attested by the Indian government agencies contrary to the provisions of the school’s charter. Another parent Nadim Nazare expressed grave concern over the affairs of the school, calling for “immediate intervention and termination of the school committee.”

But the Higher Board, an apex panel entrusted with the task to run the Indian schools in Saudi Arabia, has not taken any action against the Seva committee despite despite repeated request and reminders sent to them by parents. More or less all Indian schools of the Kingdom have had the same problems. The mismanagement and corruption are systematically destroying the academic environment of the Indian embassy-run schools.

In Saudi Arabia, there are about 10 Indian embassy-run Indian schools, which have a cumulative enrolment of about 50,000 students at the moment. These schools have millions of riyals as reserve funds. Of late, Indian diaspora, whose numbe exceeds 2.7 million in the Kingdom, are more concerned about the falling academic standards and rampant corruption at the schools.

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