Ahead of school reopening, 1.5K pvt ones await recognition

OF the 7,000-odd private schools in Tamil Nadu getting ready to reopen in the next 10 days, recognition of about 1,500 schools, or over 20% of them, has not been renewed yet by the school education department for academic year 2024-2026 due to various deficiencies.

- N DHAMOTHARAN

According to official sources, as per norms, private matriculation schools must submit application for renewal of recognition once every three years by submitting certificates for building licence, structural stability, fire and sanitation, among others. Since 2016, private schools were also mandated to get regularisation certificate for their buildings from the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) or Local Planning Authority (LPA). The schools should then submit the certificate to the school education department to get their recognition renewed.

"But thousands of private schools could not get the certificate from DTCP or LPA as they had constructed their buildings 20 to 30 years ago with the consent of local bodies," a senior official said.