Move to bring municipal schools under Education Dept. in A.P. stirs up a hornet’s nest

Govt. is eyeing vast properties of these institutions, allege teachers

The Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to bring the municipal schools under the purview of the School Education Department has sent the teachers into a huddle.

The officials maintain that the move is aimed at ensuring holistic and comprehensive development of the civic schools on a par with the educational institutions run by the government and Zilla Parishad.

“Bringing the municipal schools under the School Education Department will ensure proper academic monitoring. The Department of Municipal Administration also wants complete takeover of these schools by the government,” says an official under the condition of anonymity.

The fact that 90% of the schools are under the purview of the School Education Department, leaving only 10% under the Municipal Administration wing. And this is partly why the government is said to be moving in this direction.

“Education is not a priority area for municipal administrators, who have many other important things to attend to,” reasons out the official, explaining that the service matters of the municipal teachers, however, would be handled separately.

“The teachers will continue to work in the urban local bodies and the children will also not be shifted from their existing schools,” clarifies the official.

The municipal teachers’ associations, however, are apprehensive. They aver that the initial proposal of shifting the task of academic monitoring of their schools has undergone a change in a manner that it will have an adverse impact on the entire municipal education system.