Edu dept slaps notice on 277 pvt schools, threatens to scrap licenses

The Education Department of Haryana Government has sent notices to 277 private schools in Gurugram district for not disclosing the number of seats under section 134-A, education act by Haryana Government.

The department has asked the schools to reply to the notice within a week. If they failed to do so, the department would cancel the school's license.

Among the 277 schools in Gurugram district that have been served the notice, 156 schools is in Gurugram block, 28 schools under Farukhnagar block, 52 schools under Sohna block, 41 under Pataudi,17 under Firozpur Jhirka block.

In total, over 4,750 private schools in Haryana which have been served with notices by the Education Department of Haryana Government.

Under section 134-A, the private schools have to disclose the number of seats available so that around the twenty-five percent of the seats can be reserved for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students.

Yet, despite several reminders by the department most of the private schools in the Gurugram have flouted the rules.

According to reports, only 53 private schools in the district have provided online information to the Education Department regarding the number of seats available.

Already under controversy for charging hefty school fees, these private schools are blamed for flouting the rules to avoid the admissions of economically backward students.

The reluctance of these schools to not keep the reserved seats have resulted in most of the EWS students availing education through non-registered schools. Thereby, not they are barred from availing the benefits mentioned by the government.

Meanwhile, already miffed with the approach of private schools towards the hike in school fees, the parents again lashed out over the functioning of private educational institutes.

"Most of the private schools in the city today are charging hefty fees because they want to justify that they are bearing losses due to the reservation of seats for EWS students. However, the notice by the education department shows that how these private schools are making a mockery of not only middle-class parents but also the public system," said Devendra Kumar, one such parent.

He also stated that even though they have been assured in the past that the government will soon conduct the audit to ensure transparency, most of the parents remain skeptical.

"If the private schools have not been able to provide information to the government that is required per law, then what is the guarantee that they will allow the audit to

ensure more transparency?", added Kumar. A large number of private schools in the city are facing agitation from parents for charging hefty fees.

Recently, a private school did not allow two sisters and one brother to not enter the classroom as they did not pay the increased component of school fees.