Stage set to shut down 79 unrecognised schools

Visakhapatnam: The School Education Department is getting ready to shut down 79 unrecognised schools in the district. The officials have made it clear that no unrecognised school would be allowed to run classes from June 12, the day when schools reopen in Andhra Pradesh.

Though the department officials have intimated existing schools to renew and new schools to obtain recognition, several schools did not bother to heed the warning.  They went ahead admitting children after collecting tuition a school uniform fee. The parents have already purchased books for their children.

The announcement of the names of the 79 both primary and upper primary schools as unrecognised came as a bolt from the blue for the parents who are fuming at the education department for coming out with the list when schools reopen in a matter of 10 days.

There are many un-recognised schools in the city and also rural areas. Every year, some of the schools have been renewing recognition after submitting necessary documents and paying fee. However, still there is big number of schools which are running in city and rural areas without any recognition.

“Why has department made the announcement that unrecognised schools would be shut down un-recognised school now when the schools are about to reopen? The Education Department has maintained silence after completion of the 2017-18 academic years and after completion of the admissions for following academic year, now the department comes out with closure decision. 

If, the officials had announced the list soon after completion of the academic year, we would have gone in for other recognised schools. Now we have paid fee and purchased books. We are in a fix now,” Y Sitamahalakshmi, who admitted her daughter in a well-known unrecognised school in Vizag, said.

The department officials are saying that they are issuing series of notices to the un-recognised schools asking them to renewal their recognition and get new recognition certificate. However, some managements have applied for recognition and some schools not even responded to the notices.

The education department has a different argument. Says DEO B Lingeswara Reddy: “No school will be allowed to give admissions in summer holidays. The admissions should be given after the summer holidays. Of the 79 unrecognised schools 32 only had applied for recognition and their applications are still pending. According to the government instructions.

As they have not been given clearance yet, and if they do not get them by the time schools reopen, all the 79 schools will be shut down from June 12,” District Educational Officer B Lingeswara Reddy told The Hans India.

Responding to parents’ anguish, the DEO said that the parents must check about the school’s recognition before taking admissions. “The instructions from the government are clear. No un-recognised school should be allowed to run classes. We have no other alternative but to shut such schools from June 12,” Reddy said.