Visakhapatnam: A district-level task force committee, under the chairmanship of Joint Collector-2, was constituted to conduct checks on infrastructure, amenities, credentials and recognition of schools in the district.
On Sunday, HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao conducted a meeting with the private schools of the district and discussed various issues with them - right from recognition of schools, fitness certificates to school buses and a single uniform for all schools to reserving 25 per cent seats to poor, displaying fee structure in the public domain and single window system for school permissions.
On the occasion, Mr Rao directed DEO M.V. Krishna Reddy to shut down the 142 unrecognised schools in the district.
“There has been a great disappointment among parents about the unregulated fee structure. The schools must display their fee structure in the public domain. The task force committee includes DEO, RVMPO, Vigilance and Enforcement DSP and DTC. The parents can complain the task force committee about the erring institutions and we would take immediate action. We are planning to earmark 25 per cent seats in the private schools for the poor children as per the RTE Act and soon we would form a committee to form regulations in this regard,” he added.
Later, Mr Rao also asked the private institutions, who are operating their schools from fourth and fifth floors, to change the schools to other premises.
When Mr Rao inquired about the fitness certificates to the school buses, the RTA officials informed that only 732 schools out of 1,640 got the requisite certificates and some were denied on the basis of non-compliance with regulations.
