The Education Department is considering a proposal to conduct suo motu verification of unrecognised schools in the State from June this year.
The move comes amidst increasing complaints against the managements of unrecognised schools taking students and their parents for a ride. On Monday, 29 students of Arooja’s Little Stars School at Moolamkuzhi, near Fort Kochi, were restrained from appearing for the examination owing to the non-affiliation of the school with the CBSE.
“Based on a directive by the Kerala High Court in March last year, the Education Department has opened the window for unrecognised schools to submit applications for getting no-objection certificate from the State government as part of seeking the affiliation of central boards such as the CBSE and the ICSE. It will be closed on May 31. We plan to carry out an audit of unrecognised schools from June and initiate steps to close down such schools as per the due legal process and after resolving the concerns of the students and parents,” said senior officials close to the development.
NOC applications
As per official estimates, the managements of 800-odd schools had submitted the applications for obtaining NOC. Nearly 200 had been found eligible while many others have been given time to complete the mandatory conditions before May 31.
The mushrooming of unrecognised schools had peaked after the previous United Democratic Front regime and the present Left Democratic Front government failed to take a firm position on implementing the provision in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act that stated that no elementary school (from Classes I to VIII) can function without the State government’s recognition.
Three-year time
A three-year time frame was given to unaided schools to obtain NOC when the Act was implemented in 2011. The deadline has been extended from time to time as the governments did not insist on complying with the provision on a compulsory basis.
The Act had also provisions for imposing penalty on such unrecognised schools after giving the managements a prescribed time for completing the formalities.
On the issue of Class X students of the Arooja’s school, Education Department officials said they can be permitted to appear for the SSLC exam starting on March 10 once they submit a written request.
“However, they will not be eligible for the 20% marks under the continuous evaluation process for students under the State board,” they said.
