Indian principal 33 Dubai trips spark controversy; state government launches investigation
A school principal in India who had visited Dubai 33 times in two years, was arrested and suspended last month from an education institution for the students of Economically Weaker Section (EWS), reports Indian media.
Sanjay Patel, head of Snehrashmi School No. : No 285 in Surat, Gujarat, who seemed more businessman than educator. The Surat Nagar Primary Education Committee administers the school, which enrols deprived children, but Patel’s frequent visits to Dubai give a different picture.
Patel is said to have taken leave from work due to sickness and other imprecise reasons but then used this time to go overseas and secure UAE residency without mentioning employers. Denial: It turns out that Patel founded a travel agency in Dubai on these trips, which was later sold. Photos are on the Internet that even show him in the Dubai headquarters of this long-defunct company.
Government employees in India such as teachers need permission to go abroad. Patel broke this rule again and again, becoming one of the many educators under attack as part of a state-led injunction against teachers in Gujarat.
Education minister Praful Pansheriya spoke out on the case via video tweet and described Patel’s behaviour as an instance of a teacher abuse of her position. ‘Since this year only, 60 teachers have been dismissed for unauthorised overseas trip’ He stated that the vast majority of teachers in the state perform their job with dedication. "But with some bad apples like Patel, the whole profession can be badly tarnished," he said.
The government has commissioned district education officers to look out for similar cases and punish offenders. Patel’s suspension signals that the state is committed to cracking down on this kind of misconduct.
There was no reply to queries sent to the Surat Municipal School Board. But a staff member who answered the call confirmed Patel’s suspension but wouldn’t give us any more details.
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