VIJAYAWADA: Amid the controversy over the government’s decision to take over aided schools from the willing managements, the School Education Department has decided to withdraw the recognition of private aided and/or unaided schools that have less than 20 or zero enrolment as per a rule in the Right to Education Act (RTE). Director of School Education V Chinna Veerabhadrudu issued orders to this effect.
The department, in September this year, had asked regional joint directors and district education officers to instruct field functionaries and headmasters concerned to update child-info of the schools. Accordingly, after the admissions for 2021-22 was completed by October 31 the child-info was updated.Based on the updated data of enrolment it was observed that there were certain private and private aided schools who have an enrolment of less than 20 children, the orders said.
The orders referred to an amendment made to a GO issued in 2013, which clearly stated that any private aided/unaided school with less than 20 children is un-viable to be a primary school.Explaining the procedure to be followed for withdrawal of the recognition, the proceedings said the authority issuing the certificate of recognition shall issue show-cause notice of withdrawal of recognition and the school should be given at least a month’s time to file reply.
“If the authority is not satisfied with the reply, the school shall be given opportunity of hearing before taking a decision on the withdrawal of recognition,’’ the orders said.The order of withdrawal shall be in writing and the order of de-recognition shall be operative from the immediate succeeding academic year.
The school education department said the orders shall contain the name/names of the neighbourhood school/schools where the children of the derecognised school can get admission.
The School Education director asked the District Educational Officers and Regional Joint Directors to issue show cause notices to the schools identified with less than 20 enrolments as to why their recognition should not be withdrawn. The officials were asked to inform the action taken on the withdrawal of recognition of the schools by December 31.