Hyderabad, August 09: The announcement by the Telangana Recognised Private Schools Managements’ Association (TRPSMA) in Warangal on Sunday over the indefinite closure of schools from August 17, came as a shock to the managements of private schools in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.
Even parents and students in the city were shocked to hear about the move — part of the ‘general strike’announced by various T- employees’ associations.
Surprisingly, the school managements are not aware of the existence of any association called TRPSMA.
With the media prominently highlighting the TRPMSA’s decision, hundreds of parents and students approached the schools to check whether the decision is applicable for schools in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts.
Concerned representatives of various schools held consultations in the city and then clarified that they were not a part of any such association, nor were they ever consulted on the issue.
They said schools in the city would run as usual and they would declare a holiday only if there was a law and order problem on account of bandhs.
While about 5,000 private schools in the city are part of Hyderabad Recognised Private Schools Managements’ Association (HRPSMA) and AP Recognised Private Schools Managements’ Association (APRPSMA), about 300 CBSE and ICSE schools in the city have separate bodies representing them.
A large number of schools run by prominent corporate groups and international schools are not a part of any association.
Even as the schools stated that they have not taken any decision on the closure of schools, they refused to comment on record, anticipating trouble from Telangana agitators.
“We are demanding that the government bring schools under Esma to spare schools from bandhs. The case is pending in the High Court. We cannot declare indefinite closure of schools over political issues at this stage,” said a representative of HRPSMA.
The managements urged all the political parties and Telangana outfits to exempt schools from bandhs in the interests of children, since they are not decision makers on political issues.
The schools had already lost a dozen working days in two months of the commencement of the new academic year in June.