School threatens to sue parents for defamation

Manama : The tussle between the management of a leading community school in the Kingdom and a group of parents there got more intense than usual lately with the school threatening to take legal actions against parents for making ‘derogatory’ comments against the school.  

Parents of the students at the Indian School Bahrain (ISB) and school management have been at loggerheads with each other over clash of interests with the parents accusing the trustees of mismanaging the school and being corrupt.

“ISB management is notoriously known for a matter of being corrupt usually during a second term,” parents told DT News. 

Legal warning

However, rejecting the accusations, ISB management in a written statement said: “The ISB management deplores the derogatory remarks and will initiate legal action if required against the concerned parties in upholding the dignity of the school”.

“The parents are required to seek clarification from the Executive Committee before going to the press or social media,” the management said. 

The statement also warned that the committee, authorised by the school’s Annual General Meeting, will initiate legal action against any member who violates this decision.

The accusations

In a letter sent to DT News, the parents claimed that the school is imposing “unjustified” fees for un-billed booklets and poor-quality stationary items and the management is “pricking the consciousness of all the parents”.

The parents also blames the ISB management for lack of efficiency. The school, parents said, “Is not fully utilising the spaces available at its Riffa campus.”

According the them, the management could have used the spaces available there to build more classroom to accept more students rather than “closing the doors to thousands”.

Management’s reply

When approached by DT News, the ISB management rubbished most of the accusations in the letter stating that the cost of the prospectus and stationary items were fair, and adding that “receipts were handed over to the parents through the students”.

On building new classrooms, the management said, “The school has limitations to take up any developmental projects because of the financial planning by the executive committee prior to 2014”.

ISB management also clarified that the committee is still marred with debts and pending payments to transport contractor and other suppliers, in spite of all austerity measures.

The school insisted that it’s operating with total transparency and is following a proper system. “There is no scope for any individual to influence or favour any decision making” as hinted in the parent’s letter.

However, the management told DT News that some of the decisions will be reviewed by concerned departments in the school based on parents’ feedback.