BENGALURU: The state government is planning to bring pre-schools, montessoris, play homes and day care centres under the ambit of the Karnataka Education Act by bringing in an amendment in the ongoing legislature session.
Speaking to reporters here on Friday, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait said currently, compulsory education for children aged between six and sixteen years comes under his department. “We are now planning to bring play homes, pre nursery, nursery and day care centres under our control. The move was prompted by a number of cases involving pre-schools in the state,’’ he said.
Further, Sait said there was no provision in the law to register these institutes by individuals, but can be registered as a trust or society. “This will help us monitor them more effectively,” he said.
Sait said the Education Act will be amended to include protection of child rights. “Once the Act is amended, the government’s permission is a must to start pre-schools and fee fixation,’’ he said.
He added that pre-schools and day care centres come under the Education Department in many of cities including Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.
The minster added that the government had withdrawn a cisrcular issued in 2006, which had made registration of play homes, nurseries and day care centres optional.
“After the recent sexual harassment of a three-year-old child at a play home in Bellandur, we have withdrawn the 2006 circular and issued a fresh one making it mandatory for all such centres to register with the department. We have given three months time to these centres, failing which, they will be declared as unauthorised centres,”he said.