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Kerala Kaumudi Online
Wednesday, 13 November 2024 8.21 PM IST

Illegal nursery schools; investigation not enough, action should also be taken

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Education Minister V Sivankutty has directed the Director of General Education to investigate and find out the illegal nursery schools operating in the state and submit a report to the government. The situation is that anyone can start a nursery school anywhere if there are two or three staff and one or two rooms even in a cramped space. There are thousands of schools from play school to pre-primary levels that operate legally and illegally. A lot of complaints are also raised about the way they operate. The ones who run these establishments may not be those who have much knowledge about the rights or mental state of toddlers. There are frequent reports of teachers punishing toddlers not only for disobedience but also for petty mistakes. Recently, a nursery teacher had unleashed her fury by striking a boy on his back. Though the teacher was later expelled from the school, it is a fact that such cruel punishment is common in many KG classes.

Minister Sivankutty said that there are schools that charge up to Rs 5 lakh for admission to nursery classes. There are nursery schools here that charge more than what one has to spend on engineering studies. The misfortune of the parents is that no action is taken to control. There are eight months left for the start of the next academic year. Admissions to KG classes attached to top schools have already begun. Admissions have been completed in many places. Parents are already scrambling in the hunt for the best schools. The truth is that the school authorities don't have to request anything as there are parents who are willing to pay capitation.

The expert study suggests that play schools should only have games and extra-curricular activities that are necessary for the mental well-being of children. Writing, reading, etc. should begin only in KG class. However, in most of the nurseries here, studies start from play schools itself. Many are trying to prepare their own syllabus and curriculum and teach toddlers right from the KG class before they start actual schooling. A unified syllabus has been implemented in the nursery classes running with the approval of the government. However, private schools are pushing forward as if none of this applies to them. For such schools, which are operating without obtaining any permission, the only focus is on financial gain.

There have been inquiries and reports about illegal schools in the past as well. No significant action was taken on the reports prepared by the expert committees. The government has not even been able to ensure decent wages for those who teach in the pre-primary. The staff members of such schools, which operate without any service or wage conditions, are working in utter despair. This may be reflected in their general attitude towards children as well. In addition to studying and obtaining a report on illegal nursery schools, courage should be shown to implement at least one of its key recommendations. Strict restrictions should also be put in place in the case of capitation. It is not enough to be proud that Kerala is a state that the country is looking forward to in the field of education, but action should also be taken to free the education sector from a money-orinted mentality. Let it begin in the nursery school itself.

TAGS: NURSERY
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