DK to open one new school, upgrade 3 this year

Mangaluru: The department of public instruction has granted permission to start four unaided schools, including upgrading three schools into high schools in Dakshina Kannada district this academic year. A total of 11 applications were received for new schools, but only four were approved.
DR Naik, DDPI, Dakshina Kannada district told STOI that 11 applications were received, of which only four were approved and the rest were rejected.Among them, three will be upgraded from higher primary to high school. Whereas a new English higher primary school will start this year. “All new schools are situated in Mangaluru south and north BEO limits,” said Naik.
According to officials, post-pandemic there has been a reduction in the number of applications received. “Before Covid-19, the department used to receive several applications to start new courses. The entire permission process has moved to online mode, with stricter guidelines. In case of missing details, the entire file gets rejected. Last year, eight permissions including to start new high schools were granted,” said an official.
Meanwhile, for CBSE or ICSE schools, the department of public instruction only gives a no-objection certificate to management. “We give them the NOC, and later they have to produce the same at their school headquarters," an official said. On government and aided schools being closed down, an official said, this year, a total of four aided schools have written to the department requesting the closure. “They have cited management issues, poor admissions, and lack of staff as the reasons, the official said.