• The district education officer says there are over 150 unregistered schools

Rautahat, April 6

As the new academic session is set to begin, several schools in Rautahat have begun admitting new students.

As per official data, there are over 37 private schools of all levels from primary to secondary in the district, but the ground reality speaks otherwise. Many unauthorised schools have cropped up in the last few years and locals say they have also been enrolling students for the upcoming year. These schools have become a growing concern for parents in Rautahat as they are running without registering with the respective authority.

“Though there are a number of rules and regulations, there are plenty of irregularities in the field and hardly anyone in the concerned position is bothered to take action against those who violate the rules,” Shyamchandra Jha, a local,  said. Some locals, like Jha, suspect that there is a nexus between school operators and staffers at the education office.

Former teacher and Senior Citizen Association District Chairman Bijaya Kishor Jha elaborated how some schools are violating the law. “Some schools are not even registered and some are running classes beyond the grades they are allowed to. Sadly, there is no one to stop them,” Jha said.

“As it’s the concerned students and their guardians who will be at risk, the authorities should take this issue seriously,” he added.

Defending the education department, Ram Binaya Singh, District Education Officer, says that his office has been publishing notices to inform parents and guardians not to get their wards admitted in such unauthorised schools. “Notices are being published and as there are a lot of such schools, we can’t do much. We are thinking of taking strong action against wrong-doers with the help of the administration,” Singh said. The education office estimates that the number of unregistered and unauthorised schools in the district is around 150.