Close down unrecognised schools: Ganta

- Directs officials to publicise list of 144 unrecognised schools in the media
- 50% school fee concession to all the children Below Poverty Line
- Task Force Committee will enforce closure of unrecognised schools, examine fitness of school buses, sanitation and toilets facility in schools
- Asks officials not to succumb to any political pressure and act tough against erring school managements
- Urges parents to counter-check and question the school or college managements whether the vehicles underwent fitness test
- Directs the managements to upload details of fee, cost of uniform and books in the respective websites
- Schools to re-open today after summer vacation

Visakhapatnam: Human Resource Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao warned of action against corporate and private school managements if they found collecting abnormal fee from the students.

A meeting was convened with all district officials here on Sunday at the Government Circuit House on the eve of re-opening of schools.

When the Minister enquired DEO M V Krishna Reddy about the total unrecognised schools in the district, the latter replied it was 144. Reacting to it, the Minister asked to close down such schools and to furnish such details to the parents. He also asked the DEO to publicise the list of unrecognised schools in the media too. As many as 55 upper primary and 87 high schools in the district have no recognition which would be closed, he said.

He informed that an action plan was chalked out to extend 50 per cent school fee concession to all the children of Below Poverty Line (BPL) and efforts were on to provide best academics in all government schools on par with private corporate schools.

The Minister informed that a Task Force Committee would be formed to be headed by Joint Collector-2 D V Reddy, DEO Krishna Reddy as Convener and Project Director of Rajiv Vidya Mission and Vigilance and Enforcement DCP as Members to check all schools. This committee would enforce closure of unrecognised schools, examine fitness of school buses, sanitation and toilets facility in schools. It was decided to begin the exercise of revamping the functioning of private and corporate schools from Vizag district, he said.

When his attention was drawn to some school and college managements, which were not interested in securing Fitness Certificate (FC) to their buses and not even 50 per cent of vehicles in the district were not secured the FC so far, Srinivasa Rao informed that the district transport authorities were asked to check the vehicles thoroughly without succumbing to any political pressure and to act tough against erring managements.

RTO Khan informed the Minister that of the total 1,640 school buses, so far 732 vehicles have secured the FC. The Minister asked the transport officials to closely examine vehicle condition, experience of the driver, vehicle capacity, safety arrangements and the yellow colour. He urged the parents to counter-check and question the school or college managements whether the vehicles underwent fitness test and ask them to secure FC on or before June 15.

Referring to the complaints that many private and corporate schools were collecting abnormal fee and also for uniforms and books, Srinivasa Rao directed the managements to upload the details of fee, cost of the uniform and books in the respective websites. Collector N Yuvaraj, Civic Chief Praveen Kumar, MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao, Vasupalliu Ganesh Kumar and various school managements participated.

DEO pats teachers for good SSC result
District Educational Officer M V Krishna Reddy, while appreciating the efforts of teachers in securing 94.7 pass percentage in SSC-2016 results in the district, asked the teachers to continue the same tempo and academic spirit in 2016-17 also to get cent per cent results.

The DEO confirmed that the schools would re-open on Monday. He directed all school heads to display the list of SSC-2016 merit candidates with photos in notice boards to help encourage the students and parents. He urged them to mould the children by imparting quality education, skills and moral values and to see that Vizag district tops in the State.