BENGALURU: Acting on the Supreme Court order to relocate stray dogs from public places, the department of school education and literacy (DSEL) has directed all private, government, aided and unaided schools count the number of strays on their premises and submit a report.

The department also directed that each school appoint the principal or a senior teacher as nodal officer for this programme. They should also assist local organisations in transporting dogs from their premises to dog shelters. The order also stated that the schools should have compound wall or fence to prevent stray dogs from entering the premises again.

The field education officers and district deputy directors have been told by the department to coordinate with the urban and rural local bodies to ensure that schools under their jurisdiction comply with the directive.

However, the department’s order is facing objections from several school managements. Lokesh Talikatte, president, Registered and Unaided Private Schools Association, said, “The students’ board examinations are approaching and we have other duties to focus on. The teachers have to complete the lessons before December 15. Asking the teachers and principals to not only count dogs but also cooperate with organisations to shift them is not fair. It shouldn’t have been made compulsory for the educational institutions to count stray dogs.”