Private schools among rules violators: Survey

Discrepancies and defects in functioning of private schools have come to the fore in a survey by the education department. Leading schools affiliated to the state are no exception.

Sources said that the focus at most of the schools continued to be on writing and more homework assignments than learning through reading. The faculty in private schools was observed to be undertrained and without adequate qualifications.

School records were found to be incorrect with teachers on rolls different from those taking classes. Children from primary school sections were being made to carry bags too heavy for their age.

Some schools were not following the continuous Comprehensive Evaluation method of teaching implemented in all schools after the formation of the state.

These findings came to the light in a survey conducted at 600 government and private schools statewide. Information was collected by special teams before Dasara holidays.

Mr Nagati Narayana, vice-president of the School Teachers Federation of India (STFI), said the idea behind the survey was to assess the situation in educational institutions, list the defects, as also the remedial measures needed to improve the situation. “As per NCERT directions, states have been undertaking this exercise regularly. Shortcomings are more or less the same every time. But, no concrete steps have been taken all these years,” he said.

Mr Palle Vinay Kumar of Telangana Recognised School Managements Association said except for schools in the interiors, the teachers are trained. CCE was being implemented with most schools sending teachers to SCERT for orientation classes.

The shortcomings in private schools are more or less similar and have been there for a long time because no concrete steps have been taken all these years to stop their recurrence.

— NAGATI NARAYANA, STFI official