Unrecognised schools get a reprieve

Following pressure from the managements, grace period granted to apply for recognition.

The weeklong drive taken up by the Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district administrations against the unrecognised schools has come to a nought due to intervention by the State government under pressure from the school managements.

After the Hyderabad district Collector Mukesh Kumar Meena granted three months’ grace period for the schools to apply for recognition, it was the turn of the Ranga Reddy district administration on Wednesday, to call off the drive and permit similar grace period.

A total of 106 schools have been either seized or closed down in the district thus far, while the total number of unrecognised schools identified stands at 174. Close to 12,000 children are studying in these schools.

In Hyderabad, 100 from a total of 118 unrecognised schools have been seized but 60 to 70 schools have obtained permission to function for a couple of months. Number of students in the schools seized ranges between 10,000 and 15,000.

However, whether the recalcitrant schools will be seized after the grace period is a question, officials are not ready to answer.

“Only the State government can take a decision on that”, an official, pleading anonymity, prevaricates, though the general surmise is that the schools will be allowed to function till the year end, so as not to affect the academic year of the students.

“Some schools function from two-room, three-room tenements, and do not satisfy any of the criteria. Violations are often noticed in terms of fire safety, GHMC permissions or Traffic NoCs. Some schools have not paid the Rs.25,000 challan nor furnished the Rs.50,000 National Savings Certificate bonds as they are required to,” informed the official.

Old city is a difficult terrain, where the population density is very high, and so is the number of unrecognised schools. Notices have been issued four times since December last up to June this year, but the schools have not paid heed, another official from the Hyderabad Collectorate informed.

However, the message has gone to the schools and the result can be seen in the dwindling number of unrecognised schools year on year, officials feel.

While the number stood at 300-400 in the Ranga Reddy district a couple of years ago, it was close to 500 in Hyderabad, they say.