Citizens divided over preschools in residential areas Premium

While some parents say children cannot endure long-distance travel and it’s better that preschools are in residential areas, others feel traffic jams and sound of vehicles are a disturbance

Parashurama Nayak, a resident of Kodichikkanahalli, East Bengaluru, had to shift his residence to another street after facing repeated traffic jams in front of his house and constant noise of vehicles that ferried children to a preschool next door.

“For the past five years, the preschool has been running illegally in a residential building disturbing the whole area. I have repeatedly complained to the civic body, but nothing has changed. Preschools in residential areas should be shut down,” says Mr. Nayak. 

However, the debate on allowing preschools in residential areas is polarising. Parents argue that children cannot endure long-distance travel, especially in high-traffic commercial hubs, over concerns about their safety. They feel preschools in residential bylanes are a blessing. 

Various Montessori and preschools recently claimed that they had been notified by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) asking them to move out of residential colonies. However, one of the owners argued that child-care centres could not be treated as commercial activities. 

However, contrary to the popular perception among Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) that preschools are commercial activities and should not be allowed in residential areas, nursery schools have been categorised as “Urban Amenities 2” or “U2” in Bangalore Development Authority’s Revised Master Plan - 2015, presently in force in the city. U2 is allowed in residential areas. 

However, there is a grey area in RMP - 2015. While it lists the prerequisite road width for a list of 20 urban amenities to be located on that road, in the range of 12 to 18 metres (40 to 60 feet), including for middle and high schools, it doesn’t specify any road width for nursery schools, leaving room for confusion among RWAs, parents, preschools and civic officials. 

This notwithstanding, many preschools are guilty of several other violations. Several preschools in the city are located even on roads narrower than 40 feet, the minimum width of a road to have an urban amenity. Traffic jams on such roads when parents drop and pick up their children block roads for hours.