A senior official from the Directorate of Matriculation Schools, seeking anonymity, said that the district education officers in all the regions were instructed to identify the unrecognized schools, that are functioning without renewing the recognition certificates in connection with upgradation.

The official pointed out that the private school recognition act lays emphasis on the safety and security of the children and it also proposes to ensure quality education in the self-financing institutions by also ensuring basic minimum standards and norms in schools and regulating the admissions, collection of fees, and conduct of examinations.

Stating that permission will be accorded to the private schools, which fulfill the norms prescribed by the government, he said "due to COVID-19 lockdown, many private schools did not renew the certificate of recognition citing various reasons".

"It makes a mandatory provision prohibiting the educational agency to run the school consequent to withdrawal of recognition", the official said adding "if the schools were found that it was not recognized, all the admissions for the current academic year stands canceled".