The efforts to bring playschools under State’s purview through registration process have received immensely poor response. According to District Social Welfare Officer, Kanchan Singh around 200 applications has been received till date.

Singh stated that more than 550 playschools are operating in the capital city. Meanwhile, in an attempt to control the arbitrariness of playschools management, sealing process of unregistered playschools are likely to begin soon.

“The department has given sufficient time to the playschools management. From next week, the department personnel will inspect the status of all playschools that had submitted the application. Following Ranchi DC order, sealing procedure of all such playschools will begin who have failed to submit the application. Also, action will be taken against those playschool owners, who have given misleading information in application,” said Singh.

As per the Sate Cabinet order all playschools including old ones are supposed to get registered with the Department of Women, Child Development and Social Welfare under Jharkhand State Playschool (Regulations and Control) Rules-2017.

The district administration had issued a communiqué in mid February this year making playschools registration mandatory. As per the order on or before March 5, 2018 all the playschools should have completed the process of registration.

The concept of compulsory registration of playschools was introduced to enable the State to keep a tab on playschools functioning especially from safety perspective including the facilities which are available for the tiny-tots at these elementary schools.

“Several appeals have been made through advertisement time and again to bring the message in public domain about playschool registration but no enthusiasm is being shown by the playschools management personnel. Also, considering the eight to ten parameters that must be fulfilled to get the playschools registered is something which might be stopping the playschool owners from getting their kindergartens registered,” Singh added.

As per the guidelines of State Cabinet on playschools, focus is on creating a safe and friendly ambience within the premises of schools; recruitment of competent staffs is suggested ensuring proper student-teacher ratio for overall personality development of kids.

Access to basic amenities from toilets and drinking water facilities to availability of appropriate learning materials have been made mandatory.

Ironically, neither the district administration nor the Municipal Corporation that is entitled for issuing commercial license has any official record of the total number of playschools operating in the State Capital.