Unregulated Schools Spark Concerns Over Education Standards

Speedy Summary

• FIR filed: A Bengaluru private school is under investigation for enrolling low-scoring students in a government school to take SSLC exams and collecting fees while teaching them throughout the year.
• Recurring violations: Many schools deliberately bypass regulations, with instances of unauthorised private schools registering students as “private candidates” for exams over the years. In 2024-25, 13,154 students appeared as private candidates; in 2023-24, it was 15,479.
• Policy & land norm breaches: Violations regarding land conversion and infrastructure setups are frequent despite rules since 2017 requiring specific spaces for playgrounds.Complaints highlight traffic congestion and noise disturbances.
• Government action deferred: A survey identified over 1,300 unauthorised schools statewide in 2022-23. Despite closure orders set for August 2023, political pressure led to postponed enforcement.
• Opposition & exploitation concerns: Parents frequently enough enroll children unaware of rule breaches by unauthorised schools. Officials face criticism for inadequate monitoring amidst allegations of collusion with politicians owning some institutions.
• Child rights violation concerns: the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights plans investigations into affected cases and registered FIRs.

Indian Opinion Analysis

unregulated or unauthorised schools represent a critical challenge to education standards and governance in Karnataka. These incidents reflect systemic laxity both in school operation compliance and regulatory enforcement by authorities. with children facing disruptions during key milestones like board examinations,their psychological well-being is also at stake – a serious concern raised by multiple stakeholders including parents and child-rights advocates.

The issue underscores gaps in implementation mechanisms from surveys to legal actions against policy violators such as lack of proper monitoring or political influence that halts decisive steps like closures. While efforts have been made through amendments to streamline operational norms since 2017, consistent enforcement remains elusive due to competing pressures between student interests versus immediate legal accountability.

India’s broader educational landscape requires stricter accountability frameworks balancing accessibility with regulation compliance across public-private institutions alike – ensuring reliable learning environments without compromising long-term trust among families entering the system.

Read more: The Hindu