75 Chennai schools likely to be downgraded

Chennai: The impasse in sanction of approval for over 1,000 private schools in the state seems to be over.

The committee constituted by the state government to look into the land requirements for these 1,000-odd schools has all­egedly recommended do­w­ngrading of about 75 high and higher seconda­ry schools in the city to middle and nursery as they lacked the stipulated area of land.

Sources in the school education department al­le­ged that the committee had submitted its report to government recently which would take a final call on the issue.

“The committee which comprises officials from school education department, CMDA, Directorate of Town and Country Pla­n­ning (DTCP) and revenue department had br­ought down land requ­irement for new schools,” the official said.

K.R. Nandakumar, secr­etary of Tamil Nadu nu­rsery, primary, matriculation and higher secondary schools association, said that he had learnt that the committee had recommended slashing the land requirement by 50 per cent.

“Henceforth schools in the corporation areas need to have three gro­u­nds of land instead of six, four grounds in municipalities, five grounds in district headquarters and one acre in panchayat. The decision has been taken based on the feedback the committee rec­eived from stakeholders across the state,” he said.

The official pointed out that once the state government comes up with its policy decision the school education dep­a­rtm­ent would communicate it to all stakeholders for implementation.