The groundbreaking change in state school policy, making ownership of a playground a mandatory condition for affiliation to the state board, has come in the way of new schools wishing to start their session next academic year. The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has rejected as many as 19 applications seeking approval to start senior and higher secondary classes. Around 90% of the applicants did not have a playground.
Last year, the government had amended the rule for approving new secondary and higher secondary schools, making it mandatory for schools to have a playground. Of the 19 applicants rejected, two are from Ahmedabad. There are over 300 applications for new schools, confirmed officials.
Confirming the same, DS Patel, Secretary, GSHSEB said: "On the first day, we analyzed only a few applications out of which, 90% either did not have their own building or did not have a playground. All 19 schools have been rejected as per the new rules enforced by the state government. We have taken into consideration whether the schools have a playground or not, ownership of the building, building usage permission, classroom size, approval of their map, etc."
Applications for Al-Huda School in Danilimda and Sharda Shishu Sanskar Vidhyalaya at Sarkhej-Dholka road have been rejected by the board.
After several complaints, the board last year scrapped affiliations of nearly two dozen schools. Interestingly, after the new rules were announced, representatives of the Gujarat State School Managements Association (GSSMA) wrote to the state government raising concerns over the issue. According to the Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Act, there is no compulsion for a school to own a playground space. It could be taken on rent or lease by the school management. The requirement of a 1,200-square-yard playground for schools in urban areas and a 2,000-square-yard space in rural areas was mandatory as per old rules. At a time when the costs are so high, it is impossible for schools to get such a large space, they had stated.
