The recent case of sexual abuse of a three-year old child by the staff of a playschool has again raised the question over the functioning of the playschools in the State Capital that are violating all norms.
It also exposes district administration’s claims of bringing playschools under State’s purview through registration. The official figure suggests that merely 150 playschools have applied for registration by far while nearly, 500 playschools are operating in the Capital City.
The concept of compulsory registration of playschools was introduced in August 2017 to enable the government 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 for overall growth and development.
“Only 151 applications for registration have been received by us. Despite advertising about it on a wider scale, the response is very low.
Of now, we are scrutinizing the application forms that are with us. Within a week on the spot verification will be started of those playschools that had submitted the application for registration. Also, survey of total number of playschools operating in the city is being done,” said, District Social Welfare Officer, Kanchan Singh on Wednesday.
Nearly, two months was given to the playschools management staffs to submit the application forms for getting their school registered. According the communiqué, by March 5, 2018, all playschool owners were supposed to submit the application forms disclosing the details of their respective playschools.
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. Only those playschools fulfilling all criteria ranging from infrastructure to safety to course curriculum including the details of resource persons engaged in these cradles will be allowed to operate. The decision of covering playschools under State government’s radar was taken to curtail the business that has mushroomed in the recent days.
When contacted Ranchi DC, Rai Mahimapat Ray said that he is yet to review its status as so far how many playschool owners have applied for registration.
Meanwhile, in a bid to register their protest in the wake of recent incident of sexual abuse that has yet again compelled the authorities to rethink over an issue of children security by implementing the rules stringently, members of Jharkhand Parents’ Association took out candle march.
President of Jharkhand Parent Association, Ajay Rai in despair said, “Though 14 teams have been formed to monitor the status of private schools and playschools, none of the team is active.
Also, several cases go unreported as no one is there to keep a check on such schools that have been just opened to earn hefty profit.”