More than half of the playschools in the State Capital is yet to complete the registration procedure with District Social Welfare Office (DSWO), despite a directive which makes registration of all playschools mandatory under Jharkhand State Play School (Regulation and Control) Rule – 2017. The regulation allows the State to keep a check on kindergartens catering to children aged between three and six years.
As per the data available with DSWO – Ranchi, the efforts to bring playschools under State’s purview through registration process seem to be immensely poor. According to Ranchi District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), Suman Singh around 240 registration applications have been received till date, out which, the verification work of merely 90 playschools have been completed. Earlier, Former Ranchi DSWO, Kanchan Singh had said that approximately 550 playschools are operating in the Capital City.
“At present, the DSWO has received 240 applications, out of which, 97 applications have been verified. Seven playschools have been found to be substandard. Soon, the verification work of other 143 playschools will be completed,” said Singh.
, in an attempt to control the arbitrariness of playschools management, sealing process of unregistered and substandard playschools is yet to be taken up in a full-fledged way by the respective district administration. Singh remained tight-lipped over the issue of delay in sealing the substandard playschools. “Attempts are being made to complete the verification, sealing process,” Singh said. As per the Sate Cabinet decison all playschools including the old ones are also supposed to get registered with the Department of Women, Child Development and Social Welfare under Jharkhand State Playschool (Regulations and Control) Rules-2017. In the wake of the State Cabinet decision, Ranchi district administration had issued a communiqué in mid February this year reminding the playschools administration to complete the registration process at the earliest. As per the order, all the playschools should have completed the process of registration on or before March 5, 2018.
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.
According to the guidelines, 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, so far, neither the district administration nor the Municipal Corporation that is entitled for issuing commercial license to any commercial venture has compiled any official record of the total number of playschools operating in the State Capital, citing the constrains of Right to Education Act – RTE, 2009 rules. RTE, 2009 Act too does not have any defined norm for playschools operation.