Over 760 private schools shut down in 5 years amid 'rigid norms', 'harassment' in Bengaluru: Report
Bengaluru: In a concerning trend for the city's education sector, at least 762 private schools in Bengaluru have closed down over the past five years, a staggering 26 percent of those granted permission to operate, according to government data.
Between 2019-20 and 2023-24 academic years, the Department of School Education and Literacy gave the green signal to start 2,905 private unaided schools, of which 762 closed down.
The data, as cited by Deccan Herald on Sunday, shows significant discrepancies across districts. While Vijayapura saw the highest number of new schools at 292, only five closed. In stark contrast, Bengaluru South saw 255 new schools, with 85 shutting down within five years. In Bengaluru North, the number of schools permitted were 75, and 56 of them shut down within five years of commencement.
School managements are attributing the closures to rigid norms imposed by the department after 2018, alongside what they describe as harassment by local officers. D. Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, told DH that one of the key obstacles has been the mandatory requirement of half-an-acre land for new schools, which many find financially unfeasible. Additionally, he noted that schools now must navigate multiple departments, including fire safety and building plan approvals, compared to the previous single-point contact with the education department. He further mentioned that they have submitted petitions to the government numerous times about harassment.
Private school representatives said a majority of the schools which closed down were budget schools affiliated to the state board, the report added. The COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to these closures, disrupting the demand and supply chain, especially in cities like Bengaluru, which has a huge migrant population. The exit of migrant families led to a sharp drop in student enrolments, especially in budget private schools. The rising cost of establishing a new school—at least Rs 20 crore—and the challenge of maintaining a minimum student strength have further added to the burden on school managements.
Another factor cited by private school managements was the rise in the number of chain (franchisee) schools and the entry of corporates into the education sector. “Parents are attracted towards other board schools and so-called corporate and fancy chain schools,” management representative of a private school in the capital city was quoted as saying by the publication.
He added that the increase in the number of CBSE and ICSE schools has also contributed to the closure of state board schools, which, according to him, face discrimination at the local level compared to other boards.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
