Several students in Haryana are preferring to shift from private to government schools as parents of most are finding it difficult to afford the fees of private-run schools amid the prolonged lockdown following the COVID-19 outbreak.

With numerous students from private schools seeking admission to government schools, the State government has come out with guidelines regarding the mandatory ‘School Leaving Certificate’' for students, citing the reason that formal education of any student should not suffer on account of the pandemic.

Private schools, however, have taken the State government head-on over the latest guidelines and demanded immediate withdrawal or else be ready to face an agitation.

“The guidelines are an attempt to finish private schools. We will burn copies of the government orders and also “gherao” the Haryana Chief Minister’s residence in Karnal if the orders are not reversed,” Satyavan Kundu, president, Haryana Private School Sangh — a body of around 13,000 private schools across the State -- told The Hindu.

Mr. Kundu said there has been an increase in the number of students seeking SLC this year in comparison to the previous years. “One of the reason behind many students and parents wanting to shift is due to drop in their incomes on account of the prolonged lockdown that had effected economic activities. Most of the students are shifting schools in rural areas,” he said.

‘Address concerns’

He added that private schools were also going through difficult times and the government needs to address their concerns as well so that they could be run efficiently.

Haryana Education Department had on June 15 issued guidelines surrounding mandatory ‘School Leaving Certificate’ for students, seeking admission to government schools in Haryana.

According to the latest guidelines, if a private school doesn’t issue SLC to a student who is seeking admission in a government school, even then the student will be admitted to the government school.

The Education Department had announced that all such students who wish to enroll in government schools should be admitted immediately.

“The government schools should inform the student’s previous school in writing and urge that school to issue a School Leaving Certificate online within 15 days. It should also be mentioned in this that if the School Leaving Certificate is not received from that school within 15 days, then it will automatically be deemed to have been issued,” said an official statement.