<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="">More private schools under scanner </h1>
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<span class="">Tanu Kulkarni</span>
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<p class="">
The criminal case filed by the Department of Public Instruction against a
private school in Jalahalli — where a three-year-old was allegedly
raped — for running classes illegally, has put the spotlight on more
such schools that are functioning without obtaining the required
permission.
</p>
<p class="">
A visit by <i>The Hindu </i>to some of the 81 schools in Bangalore,
which were declared “unauthorised” for various violations in the
beginning of the academic year, revealed that many still continue to
run.
</p>
<p class="">
While some of these schools shut down after cases were filed against
them in the jurisdictional police station, others continue to function —
one such example in Govindarajanagar. </p>
<p class="">
When this correspondent visited the school, a representative said, “We are in the process of obtaining documents.” </p>
<p class="">
The DPI is yet to collate the action-taken report regarding unauthorised schools from the officials.
</p>
<p class="">
Mulla Halli Suri, president of Parents’ Association, said the 81 schools
were just the tip of the iceberg and more such schools continued to
function. </p>
<p class="">
The Indian Human Rights and Anti Corruption Cell on Monday alleged that
seven chains of schools were functioning illegally. An attempt in
January by Right to Information activist, retired Wing Commander G.B.
Athri, to get details on these violations has not yielded results. His
RTI query had sought to know the number of sanctions accorded to start
Kannada-medium schools in and around Bangalore, the number of
No-Objection Certificates issued to schools to offer CBSE and ICSE
syllabi, the number of Kannada-medium private schools, and reports of
annual spot inspections conducted by the department officials. Despite
the deadline of the Karnataka Information Commission’s order to furnish
all details in 45 days having passed on October 20, the Education
Department has not acted upon it. Instead, letters have been circulated
within the department, passing the buck on each other. </p>
<p class="">
Only one Block Education Officer from Anekal replied that 23 of the 25
schools affiliated to the central board had NOCs. The department
officials said they were yet to ascertain whether the two schools are
illegal.
</p>
<p class="">
Wg. Cmdr. Athri alleged that the unwillingness of the department
officials to part with details showed that they were hand in glove with
school managements. The most common violation is of the State’s language
policy, according to which the medium of instruction in lower primary
classes should be the child’s mother tongue or Kannada. But many private
schools, which on record are Kannada-medium schools, are functioning as
English-medium schools. </p>
<p class="">
The department officials pleaded helplessness as the issue was in court
until recently. After the Supreme Court quashed the State government’s
review petition on the language policy judgement, private school
managements had asked schools to convert their status as English-medium
schools. </p>
<p class="">
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