Rajendranagar: Private school students told to play truant

Rajendranagar: With the reports of newly appointed Joint Directors from Department of Education getting ready to carry out inspections to ascertain whether or not schools are adhering to the guidelines on reopening of classes, several private schools on city outskirts, especially in Rajendranagar, asked their students to play truant for at least two days till the inspections conclude.

The government has deputed P Rajeev, Joint Director, Model Schools, for inspections in the four districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal and Vikarabad duly fixing the schedule for inspections.

Knowing that the officer is scheduled to visit Rangareddy, Medchal and Vikarabad on February 8 and Hyderabad on February 11, several managements of schools, especially in slum areas like Sulemannagar, Hassannagar, Indranagar, Shastripuram and Gagan Pahad, got alerted and all of a sudden announced two-day holiday.

There are several schools which already opened their doors for the students regardless of age and standards. At several schools, students were told to pretend that they are from Class 9instead of Class 8 during the inspections. Some students were said to inform that they were coming to school only to get their doubts clarified.

"There are several schools in Rajendranagar area running without recognition and proper facilities. School managements exploit the parents who are not at all aware of the rules and the provisions the schools should adhere to while running the institution. Some managements are even claiming that they have the registration from Hyderabad while their schools exist in Rajendranagar that comes under Rangareddy district," rued Syed Shoukat Ali, a community activist. When contacted, the officials at Mandal Education Office,Rajendranagar, said, "Cluster resource persons were informed to keep identifying such schools in their areas which are running without proper permissions. They are even issuing notices regularly to the unrecognised schools as and when the complaints are being received. They are seeking explanations from the managements before taking action under relevant laws."