Vijayawada: HRD minister Nara Lokesh has promised to take a relook into the exemption granted to private schools in providing sports area to the children. He told the assembly on Tuesday that several exemptions were granted to the private schools during the Congress regime in 2008, which might require a re-verification. He added that govt will direct the officials not to renew permissions of the schools, that violated the guidelines.
Responding to the queries of legislators Dr Pardhasaradhi and Pantam Venkateswara Rao (Nanaji) regarding the regulations for playgrounds and fire safety equipment in govt and private schools across the state during the question hour in assembly on Tuesday, Lokesh said that permissions such as fire services NOCs, for private schools, are issued by the fire department, while building permissions are granted by panchayats and local bodies.
“According to govt order (GO) 88, there are regulations specifying the extent of playground space required for a school, based on admissions. If sufficient playground space is not available, schools can tie up with municipal grounds, if that is also not feasible, they can collaborate with other schools. This flexibility was provided through a GO introduced during Congress govt in 2008,” said Lokesh.
However, he admitted that they found certain shortcomings in the permission process for private schools. He said that they have decided to establish a transparent mechanism to address the issue.
“I will ensure all the guidelines are strictly followed in a transparent manner. We will not allow anyone to deviate the rules as govt is giving high priority to physical fitness of the children. There is no compromise on schools have a playground and encouraging children to go to sports arena,” said Lokesh.
The HRD minister added that fifty percent of students were studying in govt schools and junior colleges and they have undertaken several reforms to strengthen govt educational institutions.
“Physical education plays a key role in the mental development of students. We are reviewing the appointment of physical education teachers (PETs) based on student numbers. We will take measures to ensure that regulations regarding playgrounds must be strictly adhered to,” he emphasised.
Moreover, the minister explained that he had convened a meeting with the private school managements regarding the salaries of private school teachers where they said that some private teachers were refusing to submit certain documents. He, however, promised the members to see that managements follow the regulations without any deviation. Lokesh said that Union defence minister Rajnath Singh has promised to look into their request to set up NCC directorate in AP for the benefit of students and educational institutions.
