Crisis-hit private school to reopen soon, say parents after meeting with officials

HYDERABAD: Parents of students studying in a private school demanded its management to install functional CCTV cameras all over the premises, including the entry and exit points.

This was among several student-friendly initiatives they sought during a meeting with Hyderabad DEO, management of a particular school and director of school education, A. Devesena, on Wednesday.

Earlier, hundreds of ‘aggrieved’ parents assembled at the DSE office around 11 am for a solution to a crisis that had hit the students in the middle of an academic year.

This comes after the recognition of a private school in Banjara Hills was cancelled by education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy following the sexual abuse of a student of the school.

A voting held on the issue showed that 434 of 615 parents were in favour of the school’s reopening after restoring its license.

The parents were given no clarity on whether their children would be shifted to government or private schools. They wanted their children to study in the same school.

Later, parents said that the management has agreed to all their demands and that the school will reopen in a week’s time. However, some said that the government will have the final say on the issue.

Guidelines sought by parents:

1. Surveillance camera access to all parents

2. Teacher-student ratio should be under government norms

3. Sufficient female child care attendants.

4. Parent-teacher panel with a government official

5. Teachers with misconduct to be fired immediately

6. Quarterly monitoring of school’s functioning by DAV senior management

7. A grievance portal and immediate solution to complaints lodged.

8.   GPS tracking system for all school vehicles