Karnataka Council of Pre-Schools urges govt. to halt enforcement of new regulations

The Karnataka Council of Pre-Schools (KCPS) has urged the State government to halt the enforcement of “impossible-to-perform” mandates that threaten the closure of more than 25,000 standalone pre-schools across the State.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the KCPS raised concerns over the new regulations put in place for functioning of pre-schools and urged the School Education Minister to constitute a high level committee to simplify rules.

The council stated that new regulations will lead to unemployment of over 4.5 lakh women, which includes teachers, helpers, and support staff. “These regulations, if not immediately redrafted, will trigger an unprecedented socio-economic crisis, resulting in mass unemployment for women and a crushing financial burden on millions of young families. Closure of standalone schools will lead to a 500% increase in fees as this grants unfair monopoly to large K-12 institutions,” it added.

As shared by KCPS, the new regulations mandate a 30-year lease requirement even for standalone pre-schools at residential premises, which is impossible to comply with. “No landlord in the private market will ever fulfil, making it legally impossible for 90% of the schools to operate. Even the requirement of classroom sizes of 18 ft/20 ft (360 sq. ft) ignores the homely, secure environment and is physically impossible in residential neighbourhoods,” it stated.

Major demands

* Constitute a high-level committee immediately to simplify and redraft the rules specifically for Standalone Pre-schools (ECCE), distinct from K-12 industrial norms.

* Halt all Harassment: Issue an immediate stay on the current impossible building, lease, and land conversion mandates until a fair framework is established.

* Ensure Digital Transparency: Restore immediate public access to a functional and transparent registration portal.