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a large number of whom lack basic Nandhakumar, gen- ernment should monitor
facilities, employ untrained staff, and eral secretary of the these institutions more
disregard safety measures for young- Tamil Nadu Nursery, closely. In many cases,
est children. Primary, Matricula- classrooms are overcrowd-
“Under the Tamil Nadu Private tion, Higher Second- ed, and the schools lack
Schools (Regulation) Act, 2019, and ary, and CBSE Schools adequately trained staff
the code of regulation for nursery and Association. Accord- qualified to provide the
primary schools, all schools are re- ing to Nandhakumar, necessary care and educa-
quired to obtain recognition from the a large number of the tional support to youngest
school education department. How- 9,000 pre-primaries children. With minimal
ever, hundreds of play schools are approved by the state regulatory oversight, too
operating without any recognition,” government’s Director- Nandhakumar many preschools ignore
says M. Arumugam, state presi- ate of Private Schools, critical safety measures
dent of FPSA. “Most of these schools also operate in residential areas. Par- such as fire safety protocols, first-aid
are functioning out of homes and in ents are obliged to pay “hefty fees” for facilities, and CCTV surveillance, put-
overcrowded residential areas, which half-day learning, and many teach- ting the lives of children at risk,” says
may be unfit and unsafe for children,” ers are either higher secondary (class Dr. S. Somasundaram, a Chennai-
he adds. XII) or only Montessori certified. based educationist.
Other educationists are also Despite the state government having In 2004, a horrifying fire at the Sri
sounding warning alarms. “We are prescribed stringent guidelines for Krishna Saraswathi English Medium
witnessing an increasing number of private pre-primaries, enforcement School at Kumbakonam, snuffed out
unauthorised schools without proper remains weak, says Nandhakumar. the lives of 93 children who were
infrastructure or qualified teachers “In Chennai, there are at least charred to death. On the issue of chil-
being promoted, posing a significant 1,000 self-styled play schools op- dren’s education, profit considerations
threat to the safety and development erating without supervision and af- seem to prevail over safety.
of young children,” confirms K.R. filiation, in violation of law. The gov- Shivani Chaturvedi (Chennai)

OCTOBER 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 27