Preschools against tying them to primary school regulations in Karnataka | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Independent pre-schools should be considered as a separate class of entities and not be tied to the rules and regulations that govern primary schools, the Association of Pre-Schools appealed to the state govt Wednesday.The appeal comes in the backdrop of a May 27 circular issued by the dept of school education and literacy, mandating compulsory registration of pre-schools and also laying down the rules for running them. The pre-schools said the rules are meant for primary schools and are impossible to follow for independent pre-schools.As per the new regulations, pre-primary schools must have a building of at least 2,000 square feet, in addition to one square metre of space per child. “Pre-primary schools that are run separately are mainly run by educated homemakers-turned-entrepreneurs. Some of these are partly run in an extension of the premises of their houses. Many of the kindergartens usually have 20-30 children for only 2-3 hours. As there are only children aged 2-5, the total space of the school is divided between inner and outer environments, considering that children at that age need outdoor activities too,” said the Karnataka Council of Preschools in a statement to school education minister Madhu Bangarappa.“These children need more outdoor space than indoor space, and children of this age group do not sit in classrooms for more than 30-45 minutes. They need toys, Montessori and play-way materials and also need to play and run around. So there is no need for a building with 2,000 square metres for pre-primary schools,” it said. The association said the small space will also help in direct supervision and safety of children by the school staff, while a building with a very large area would compromise safety.“It is impossible for small entrepreneurs to rent or lease buildings of 2,000 square metres in Bengaluru urban areas. It is impossible for small entrepreneurs to run such a big building with an advance payment of lakhs of rupees and a rent of thousands of rupees, and no landlord will give a 30-year committed lease,” said Pruthvi Banwasi, secretary of the association.While the rules seek a building on lease for at least 30 years, the preschools said several such entities are generally run for only 5-10 years and then closed for various reasons. “The site must be converted for educational purposes, say the rules. Several pre-primary schools are located in residential areas. Therefore, the sites available for pre-primary schools are usually houses with 2-4 rooms,” he pointed out.“We have therefore requested to be considered as a separate class of entities and not to apply the same rules as those of a primary school to us,” he added.