BENGALURU: The Department of School Education and Literacy has invited applications from private schools for renewal of recognition through the online mode this year.

As per the notification issued on Tuesday, physical applications will not be accepted.

Renewal of recognition for schools is a process of re-applying to the relevant government education authority to maintain the school’s legal and operational status.

Therefore, the department has made it mandatory for the schools to submit updated reports on infrastructure, staff, finances and to comply with safety and curriculum requirements.

Lokesh Talikote, President, Recognised and Unaided Private Schools Association (RUPSA), said, “We welcome the decision of the education department but they should have released this notification in the beginning of the academic year in April or May. Now that the education department has released this notification in November, schools will not be able to complete this online process in a month’s time. As a result, the schools will go unrecognised by the department which would impact teachers, children and parents.”

Lokesh highlighted that it is mandatory for schools to get an NOC from the fire safety department that certifies that the school has all measures of fire safety.

“The Supreme Court has directed that there is no need to get fire safety NOC for buildings less than 15 meters. But the school department has made it mandatory to get NOC for all the school buildings this time,” he said. He also alleged that last time when RR notification was released, the officials took bribes from school authorities to renew their recognition. He said, “We have submitted most of these bribe cases along with evidences to the higher officials in the department itself. No action was taken against them. This time, again the department with this new notification is making way for more corruption.”