Following Education Minister Adimoolapu Suresh’s resolve to implement the State government’s order requiring the closure of all educational institutions till March 31 as part of the larger effort to combat COVID-19, the Andhra Pradesh School Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission (APSERM) has appealed to all the institutions to follow the instructions in letter and spirit.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, the commission’s member V. Narayana Reddy said that the commission was empowered to initiate punitive action on erring institutions, recalling complaints of violation by some corporate schools and junior colleges in the State. “From a distant scare, the virus is becoming a reality that cannot be wished away. We know the lack of toilets and poor sanitary conditions prevailing in several schools and it is all the more important to keep them closed now in view of the pandemic,” he explained.
He said the panel would make random visits to private and State-run schools and junior colleges and DIETs across the State to ensure compliance and any violation observed would be taken seriously. “Only State-run welfare hostels and residential schools shall continue to function till the board and entrance examinations are completed and all other students in hostels shall be vacated immediately,” prof. Reddy said.
Fee fixation
He said that the commission had been vested with the responsibility of fixing the fee for schools and junior colleges and as such, any institution demanding fee in advance for the ensuing academic year would face action. He recalled the spate of surprise visits and inspections conducted on corporate schools and colleges in the last few months. The commission had sought a report from the institutions and would initiate action if satisfactory reply was not forthcoming, he said.
Regional Inspection Officer M. Krishnaiah, Deputy Educational Officers S. Purushotham (Chittoor), C. Vijayendra Rao (Tirupati) and V. Ranga Reddy (Puttur) accompanied him.
