Hyderabad: The future of many children in the Old City here may be in peril as under qualified people have been quietly setting up private schools. Many such schools enrol kids only with the intention of making money.
Such schools in different areas are holding science exhibitions, taking children on excursions, picnics and also holding competitions to earn money through their businesses of running schools. While setting up an educational is not difficult or not wrong in this case, the faculty or teachers needed to impart knowledge to students also barely qualify for the job as most of them do not meet the required standards prescribed by the state education department.
Social activists point out the trend is likely to ruin the lives of students who will be left with no basic education given the sub-standard teachers at such schools.
“In a case at Gazzi Millat colony Chandrayangutta, there is a school where the head master himself is pursuing a degree course. He appointed a tenth standard pass teachers to teach high school classes important subjects such as mathematics and science. Imagine an intermediate pass-out teacher handling high school classes,” remarked Mohd Jawad, a social activist cum writer from Chandrayangutta.
Noted social activist from the city Abdul Samad, pointed out the school management greases the palms of the education department officials every year. “An amount between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 is paid to the officials to overlook the violations. Inspections are mere formality,” he pointed out.
A majority of the schools are just registered and not recognized as mandated by the government rules. “Schools enroll students and collect fees from them. The students are actually enrolled at some other recognized school. Education department officials are aware of it,” Jawad claimed..
According to local activists, there are around 100 unrecognised schools running in the old city and nearby areas. They say that many of the teachers are also unqualified to teach as they don’t fulfill the Education department’s rules.
A principal of a government school on condition of anonymity said students who came for enrolment in their schools from private schools are sometimes unaware of the basics in terms of education, which is why they can get away with it.
“In the months of June and July, we start right from alphabets and numerals for classes for the fourth and fifth standard. From August month onwards we start the regular classes. Parents are happy with the show put up at private schools. Since they are themselves illiterate, they don’t understand the importance of schools,” she pointed out.
“In fact, teachers of a few government schools themselves through their family members are running private schools in the city which is totally illegal,” the principal added.
Another private school principal located at Chandrayangutta pointed out that foundational studies are very important for students. “In many cases where we are seeing schools are turned into commercial establishments. After much research and analysis the school education department had fixed certain guidelines for recruitment of teachers. The school management are just collecting certificates of the qualified candidates and paying them some money monthly,” he alleged.
