253 schools face action for lacking RTE approval

Of 388 unauthorised schools, 135 have already faced penal action. Representation pic/iStock

The issue of unauthorised schools was a key topic in this year's budget session, though their numbers have fallen from 674 in 2023-24 to 388. Maharashtra's School Education Minister, Dadaji Bhuse, announced that all such schools would be inspected, and action would be taken accordingly.

Of the 388 unauthorised schools, 135 have already faced penal action, while 253 still await measures. These 253 institutions operate without approval under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, despite having a UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) code.

Congress Member of Legislative Council Pragya Satav raised concerns over the future of students studying in these institutions, highlighting the risks involved. Responding to this, Bhuse assured the house that an inspection of these 250 schools had been ordered to address the issue.

As per Section 18 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and Rule 11(4) of the RTE Rules, 2011, schools must obtain an RTE Approval Certificate (Index-2) from the district's Education Officer.

Discussing Mumbai's situation, Nitin Dalvi, President of Maharashtra Rajya Vidyarthi, Palak, Shikshak Mahasangh, said, "The RTE Act includes 19 key monitoring points covering financial, security, and teaching issues. Since 2013, successive governments have mocked its implementation. Authorities found 218 schools hadn't applied for RTE recognition until 2022, with the number reaching 674 by 2023. These schools were supposed to be fined or shut down but were ignored until 2024. Shockingly, government officials, including those from BMC, deliberately overlooked this issue. Only after a complaint to the Child Rights Commission and persistent follow-ups did these schools apply for RTE recognition."

In Mumbai, 192 out of the 218 schools violating RTE regulations were granted recognition in July 2024, while seven of the remaining schools have been closed down.

What about students?

Around 39,000 students and 1500 teachers have been affected by the schools not authorised under RTE. Raising the issue in the house Satav questioned the government on its measures to curb unauthorised schools and sought an action taken report.

Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse

In response, Education Minister Bhuse acknowledged the presence of 388 unauthorised schools under private management in the state and confirmed that action had been initiated under Section 18(5) of the RTE Act.

"Whenever closure action is taken, students are shifted to other authorised schools nearby, parents too are apprised of the situation. Teachers, too, will be shifted to other schools accordingly," said a senior official from the school education department.

Dadaji Bhuse said, "These are schools and we cannot just shut them down at one go. We have to understand the issues and why they have failed to get approval. Is it possible to get approval for them?

This matter involves teachers and students studying there, we will need to think of accommodating them too, before we take action. However, action will be taken on errant schools who are violating rules."

Minority schools

A delegation led by the School Management Federation's General Secretary, Shabana Khan, met with the Honourable Chairman of the State Minority Commission, Pyare Khan, to discuss the possibility of revising school recognition parameters for Minority Slum Pocket Schools in Mumbai.

"We have been assured by the honourable chairman that he would do his best to support the cause of education in slum areas. He also announced plans to visit these schools soon and propose positive solutions to help them secure recognition," said Shabana Khan, founder and principal of VK English School.

"It is unfair to shut down schools that provide affordable education based on technicalities. Many of these schools operate under non-profit public trusts, are registered with the Charity Commissioner, and even hold a UDISE+ number, which many other schools lack."

UDISE+ is an online management information system initiated by the Ministry of Education, covering over 14.89 lakh schools across India. Since 2018-19, it has provided real-time data to offer a comprehensive overview of the country's education system.

39,000
No. of students affected by schools without RTE approval