Telangana: Parents hail action, but shift may unsettle kids

HYDERABAD: While lauding the state government's swift action in the alleged rape case, parents of the private school in Banjara Hills say they are also concerned about the future of their kids.
"Shifting our children out without notice, in the middle of the term, can be quite hassling," said a parent urging authorities to follow a stricter protocol while issuing licences to schools in the future. Apart from safety issues, this particular school, the parent said, had crammed 50 students into a classroom meant for 20. "Yet the education department did nothing about it," the parent added.

Parents are also concerned about their children adjusting to a new school. "Finally after two years of the pandemic our children were starting to ease into a normal life; they had made friends and developed bonds. Now, abruptly, all this will change. While we appreciate the government's action to some extent, until and unless my children get to study in a reputable school and we get our money refunded, the mental agony will continue," said another parent whose children study in classes 1 and 6 at the school in Banjara Hills.
When asked about the concerns raised by parents, a senior official from the Telangana education department said that they will consult them soon to decide on the future course of action. "We will hold discussions with parents to see want they want. We will take a call accordingly in a couple of days," the official added.
How schools will run henceforth is also a concern among parents.
"We want the education department to fulfill our demands in terms of regular checks in schools, giving basic minimum security rules for school managements, rules on staff and others. Parents after admitting their children in school have very little power left to bargain. We have been asking the school administration to install CCTV cameras for the past five months and they did nothing. Such things must be enforced by the education department," added another parent of a fourth standard student.