Playschools in the city welcome the new draft regulations issued by the Directorate of Elementary Education, but point to a number of clauses as unrealistic.
The regulations, which are available onhttp://www.tn.gov.in/ schooleducation, outline rules for play schools, including those on stability, structure, curriculum and teaching staff. “Considering that many playschools have been operating in single rooms and environments that are not conducive to the development of children, the regulations are a good move,” Sruthi Kumar from Patasala Montessori said.
There are, however, a number of rules that do not make sense, playschool owners say. According to the regulations, the playschools are not allowed to be open on any main roads which have heavy vehicular traffic.
This, playschool owners and educationists say, is a difficult order.
“We are right now operating on the main road. But that does not mean our children are unsupervised and prone to leaving the campus. We insist on parents dropping them off inside the campus, to ensure children are not exposed to traffic,” the owner of a popular playschool in Nungambakkam says.
Another regulation that parents and educators alike are taking exception to is that children should be admitted into playschools in the 1-km radius of their residence.
For mothers like Shilpa Hari, who lives in Teynampet but works in an IT company in Taramani, choosing playschools near their workplace is convenient and logical.
“I visit my daughter during my lunch break. This would be impossible if I had put her in a school near our apartment,” she says. Educators agree.
Divya Viswanathan, founder, Fourlines Preschool points out that it is the parents’ prerogative to choose the place for their children’s early education.
But, school education official says they are a necessity
