The Department of School Education will close down the schools lacking recognition on the last day of the current academic year (April 22). Last year, 30 primary and nursery schools in the district were closed on the first day of the academic year, which led to several protests from parents across the city.
Chief Educational Officer A. Gnanagowri told The Hindu here on Friday that this move will ensure that parents have adequate time to admit their children to other schools having recognition. If the parents had trouble getting admission, they could admit their children to Government schools, most of which now offered English medium sections.
The final closure notices were issued to as many as 60 primary and nursery schools during the last one week alone.
The Directorate of Elementary Education had issued the third and final closure notice to 86 schools in Coimbatore district this year for not conforming to the rules of the Right To Education Act and State Government norms.
Land was the major issue for majority of the schools. Five schools that were located within or near the city limits have agreed to close down.
“The existing norms will be enforced till such time the recommendations of the Expert Committee constituted to determine minimum land requirements for private schools were implemented. The current norms have not been suspended,” Ms. Gnanagowri said.
The final list of schools that would be closed will be publicised on April 22. Parents must also demand information about recognition from the school management before admitting their wards. The parents could contact the Department of School Education if the schools were not forthcoming with such information.
The Chief Educational Officer also cautioned private schools against submitting incomplete and erroneous proposals.
One of the schools had given a proposal stating that they had 12 cents in place of the three acres required for schools in villages and sought recognition by promising to acquire the rest at the earliest.
The RTE Act prohibits private schools from functioning without recognition.
