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Post Kushinagar mishap: Education department cracks down on unrecognised schools, closes 258
Following the crackdown on Divine Mission school after the Kushinagar mishap, the education department has closed down 258 unrecognised schools here while another 401 are on the radar.
Following the crackdown on Divine Mission school after the Kushinagar mishap, the education department has closed down 258 unrecognised schools here while another 401 are on the radar.
On Wednesday itself, 38 unrecognised schools were closed, said Nagar Shiksha Adhikari and BSA in-charge Brahmachari Sharma. Education department officials led by Brahmachari Sharma visited schools in 10 blocks including Pali, Sahjanwa, Urwa, Pipraich Campierganj, checked documents related to the recognition of these schools and ordered immediate closure of those being run illegally.
The crackdown comes in the wake of the Kushinagar mishap wherein the school van met with the accident killing 13 children. Following the accident, Divine Mission School at Dudahi in Kushinagar, which had been running without any registration for the last five years, was sealed and an FIR was lodged against its principal and manager KJ Khan. Action was also taken against Kushinagar basic shiksha adhikari and block education officer for their negligence to allow a non-recognised school run.
Meanwhile, a notice informing parents regarding the closure of these schools is being put up on the entrance gates of schools that are being closed. Schools owners have also been warned not to reopen the school else they will be fined ₹1 lakh. If they continue to run the school even after a fine is imposed, another fine of ₹10,000 per day will be imposed on them, informed Sharma.
Two schools-SP Bal Niketan and Gagha and Dayanand Saraswati Shishu Mandir-- have been slapped with a fine of ₹1 lakh each as they continued to function despite being closed by the education department.
“Thirty-eight schools, including four in urban areas and 34 in rural areas were asked to close as they were found running without recognition. Many of these schools lacked basic infrastructure including desks, classrooms and teachers. The education department’s campaign against unrecognised schools will continue in the days to come,” said Sharma.
Asked about the future of students studying in these schools Sharma said, “The BSA has issued instructions to all government-run primary and upper primary schools to accommodate these children so that their academic session is not wasted.”
