Maharashtra education department is cracking down on unrecognised schools operating under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
Director of secondary and upper secondary schools, Krishnakumar Patil, has instructed relevant officials to take action against the 674 schools that are not registered with RTE for the academic year 2022–2023.
This move comes after Patil reprimanded the deputy director of education and the education officer for failing to take action against these schools.
The issue of unrecognised schools in the state is a serious one, as many pupils from the economically weaker segment of society are denied entrance to these institutions.
According to the RTE Act, 25% of seats in private unaided schools are set aside for students from economically weaker backgrounds. However, a large number of schools in the state do not register for the admission process in accordance with the RTE, leaving many students from these backgrounds without access to education.
Mumbai, in particular, has a high concentration of unrecognized schools, with 239 of the 674 schools not registered with RTE for the academic year 2022–2023 located in the city. This is a significant number, considering that these schools have the capacity to educate over 5,000 students. The director has demanded that at the start of the following academic year, there should not be any unlicensed schools operating in the state.
In order to avoid disciplinary action being taken against the officials involved, Patil urged immediate action against these schools. These institutions will be required to pay a fine of INR 10,000 per day that the violation persists. Students will be admitted to the reserved seats for the academic year 2023–2024 using a centralised online admissions process, much like in prior years.
The department is taking this matter very seriously and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that all schools in the state are operating within the boundaries of the law and providing quality education to all students, regardless of their socio-economic background.
In addition to the fines, the department is also taking steps to ensure that these schools do not continue to operate illegally. School registration for the academic year 2023-24 has already started and all qualifying schools are required to register for the admissions process. The deadline for registration is February 3, giving schools a chance to comply with the regulations set out by the RTE Act.
Furthermore, the Director of Elementary Education, Sharad Gosavi, issued a circular stating that registration for the admissions process is mandatory for all qualifying schools, in order to ensure that no student is denied access to education due to the non-compliance of schools.
This move is expected to provide a level playing field for all students, regardless of their socio-economic background and ensure that they get a fair chance at education. The department will also be implementing a one-step admission process for RTE seats, making it easier for students from economically weaker backgrounds to apply for these seats.
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