The School Education Department is inspecting several play schools in Coimbatore district after it came to light that several of them were conducting unauthorised classes.
Play schools are authorised only to conduct ‘pre kindergarten (KG)’ classes only for children below three-and-a-half years.
Official sources told The Hindu here on Wednesday that notices were likely to be issued to nearly 25 schools functioning without recognition.
Of these, 15 were play schools and the rest were nursery schools.
Some of these schools had claimed to have applied for conversion to Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) board and, hence, did not come under the purview of the State School Education Department.
The Department had closed 49 schools in Coimbatore this year and another 23 last year for either lacking or not having renewed their recognition. Section 18 (1) of the rules framed under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act stated that no school other than those owned or controlled by the State government or a local body could function without obtaining a certificate of recognition. The schools must renew their recognition every three years.
The officials were also investigating reports of play schools, which were supposed to be only day care centres, conducting classes I to V. These classes could be conducted only by nursery schools.
Following this, the Directorate of Elementary Education has formed teams to ascertain the age of students in play schools.
During the inspection conducted by Assistant Elementary Education Officers (AEEOs), sources said that several other violations also came to light. Some schools were found conducting classes without even having attendance rolls.
The inspections would be intensified in the coming months.
The AEEOs have also been instructed to prevent schools that were closed down from reopening with new names, sources said.
