The Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Mysuru, has decided to crack down on unrecognised schools across the district.
Following a government diktat, the department has identified 35 schools running classes without authorisation. It has asked the block education officers (BEOs) to issue show-cause notices to these schools immediately.
Out of the 35 schools, 33 did not have permission to run classes six and seven. However, they had permission to run classes from one to five. The remaining two schools had no consent for running classes from one to five, according to Deputy Director of Public Instruction H.R. Basappa.
Show-cause noticeMr. Basappa told The Hindu that show-cause notice would be issued to erring schools from Tuesday and announcements would be made alerting parents against admitting their children to such schools.Criminal proceedings would be initiated against the schools, he added. To another question, Mr. Basappa said the question of giving recognition to such schools did not arise at all as their managements had flouted rules. Eighty-one schools in the district had not renewed recognition from the department. Some schools had not renewed recognition for over 15 years.
There were schools functioning without recognition since 1995-96, Mr. Basappa explained. Such schools had been given an opportunity to renew recognition, after fulfilling all the obligations, within 15 days. Mr. Basappa admitted that in the past, BEOs had kept the department in the dark about schools violating rules. They had not reported to the department about unrecognised schools in their jurisdiction and schools which had not renewed permits , he said.
Asked if the department was planning to take action against the then BEOs for concealing information about schools that had flouted norms, he said, “We are identifying the officers who had concealed information. Action will be taken against them as per department rules.”
