Govt revises guidelines for new private schools

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, December 10

The state government has revised the norms for management committees of new private schools to get recognition from the School Education Department. The latter has fixed the processing fee at Rs 40,000 (primary school), Rs 50,000 (elementary), Rs 75,000 (high school) and Rs 1 lakh (senior secondary school).

The new policy was communicated to all district education officers (DEOs) in the state last week for implementation. Krishan Kumar, Secretary, School Education, said getting recognition from the department was already mandatory, but the fee had now been revised to bring it on a par with neighbouring states, including Haryana.

Under the new rules, a school has to get only three-four NoCs (no-objection certificates) rather than 29 under the old norms, he added.

Besides 19,181 government schools, Punjab has 8,677 private recognised schools and 217 unrecognised ones. Most of these unrecognised schools are affiliated with the CBSE.

The department has fixed minimum two acres in rural areas and one in urban areas to open a new school. In case of land on lease, the lease period should not be less than 30 years. For the upgrade of a school, the management committee has to get approval from the DEO and pay Rs 1,000 as processing fee.

The salary of these teachers should be equal to the basic pay plus grade pay of government schoolteachers. The payment of salary should be through bank cheques or online transfer into the teachers’ accounts.

The new rules have fixed the student-teacher ratio at 35:1 up to Class VIII, 40:1 (high school) and 50:1 at the senior secondary school level.

At the time of allowing recognition to primary and elementary schools, the DEO will ensure that the institution is adhering to rules under the Right to Education Act.

A school has to deposit six months’ salaries of its employees (basic pay plus grade pay) as reserve money with the DEO.