Students of over 1,000 schools in Haryana can’t register for boards

GURUGRAM: As 1,300 schools wait for an extension of the temporary recognition awarded by the government earlier this year, the fate of over 60,000 students in classes 10 and 12 hangs in the balance.
These schools have failed to get permanent recognition due to space and land constraints, and currently, they can not get their students registered on the Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH) portal for the March 2023 board exams.
The schools and their syndicates claimed this is happening despite depositing sports funds and registering with the Management Information System (MIS) department.
“The government has adopted an uncaring attitude towards thousands of students unable to register for the board exams. This is a gross injustice, and the government must provide them relief,” said Yashpal Yadav, state president, Haryana Sikshan Sansthan Sangathan.
“The issue is mainly with schools in the cities. Due to haphazard residential development around these schools, it is impossible to expand their geographical scope.The government must come up with some middle route for a one-time settlement, considering the problem,” said Private Schools Welfare Association president Ram Awtar.
In January 2022, TOI reported that the government issued an extension to unrecognised schools for the 2021-22 session. For the 2022-23 sessions, schools were to apply afresh for permanent recognition. The government relaxed the land requirement norms and opened a dedicated web portal to smoothen the process. The land requirement for primary schools is now 250 sqm instead of the earlier 500 sqm. Similarly, for high schools, it is now 1,200 sqm instead of 2,000 sqm.
“What more do these schools demand from the government? It has relaxed norms and has been giving extensions for the past 18 years. These schools have been deemed unfit because of their location in congested areas and insufficient infrastructure,” said a senior secondary education department official.
“No student will be made to suffer. We have our CHEERAG scheme, where students can take admissions to private schools, with the government reimbursing the fees. Additionally, our government schools are doing better than these schools. So, the students can seek admissions there,” the official added. The schools, however, demand that the government allow them to shift or grant permanent affiliation in the existing condition.