Afternoon news
   
Mumbai, Aug 7: “I am a Minister, not an (Education) Inspector, to inspect schools.” That was Education Minister Vasant Purke’s vociferous reaction, refuting media reports about he inspecting schools.

A section of the press had reported that, ‘after having failed to introduce baseline tests, he has decided to carry out inspections at private schools in the city and other parts of the state’. It created a flutter in the education fraternity and several eyebrows were raised at Purke’s new stance.

Speaking about the issue, Purke said, “No doubt I am firm on the decision of conducting baseline tests, but that doesn’t mean I will go and do the work of an Inspector. Normally, I visit schools casually sometimes and have been doing this since I became Education Minister.”

“As far as the tests are concerned, the Chief Minister has stayed the decision. We are discussing the issue with various orgnisations. Shortly the final decision will be taken,” he concluded.