Mumbai: 55 per cent city schools are minority-run

RTE Act requires schools to reserve 25 per cent of seats for disadvantaged communities. Representation pic/iStock

Mumbai is increasingly becoming a city dominated by minority schools, as data from the Deputy Director of School Education reveals. Of the 1,731 private schools across Mumbai's three zones, 950 are classified as minority institutions, making 55 per cent of private schools in the city minority-based by linguistic or religious grounds, leaving only 45 per cent as non-minority institutions.

According to the data from the Deputy Director of School Education, of the total 421 private schools in Mumbai's south zone, 245 have minority status; in the north zone, 240 out of 527 private schools are minority; and in the west zone, 465 out of 783 private schools hold minority status.

This significant presence of minority schools has raised concerns among parents, educators, and policy experts. Many question whether these schools genuinely serve their intended minority populations or are using their status to bypass obligations under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

Rohit Dandawate, president of the GPTA

The RTE Act requires schools to reserve 25 per cent of seats for disadvantaged communities, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). However, minority institutions are exempt from this provision, creating a compelling incentive for schools to seek minority status to avoid this mandated reservation. "Interestingly, the increase in schools granted minority status spiked after the RTE Act was implemented in 2009," said Rohit Dandawate, president of the Global Parents Teachers Association (GPTA), a state-level coalition of parents and teachers. "Several schools, shielded by minority status, claim exemption from the RTE Act's 25 per cent reservation for economically disadvantaged students. This leaves room for potential misuse of the minority label to bypass crucial inclusivity requirements," he added.

The shift toward minority status has been dramatic: prior to 2009, Mumbai had fewer than 70 minority schools. This number surged to 225 after the RTE Act's passage. Between 2013 and 2014, it jumped further, surpassing 640. Today's figures show an almost threefold increase in minority schools over the past decade, reaching 950 in 2024.

From 2014 to 2024, as per the Deputy Director of School Education's data, the number of private schools in the city (across three zones) grew from 1,576 to 1,731, marking a 9.84 per cent increase. In contrast, minority schools increased from 688 in 2014 to 950 in 2024, reflecting a 38.08 per cent rise.

Audit minority schools

The rapid increase has prompted calls for an audit of minority schools to confirm if these institutions truly serve their respective minority communities. This would involve assessing student demographics to determine if the majority belong to the minority communities these schools claim to represent. Parents and activists argue that without proper oversight, minority status is being used primarily to evade RTE compliance. Dandawate added, "Once granted minority status, these schools are also exempt from the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This makes it crucial for the state government to conduct regular audits, review their minority status, and revoke it if they're not admitting minority students or are found violating rules for minority institutions." Dandawate has raised this issue with the government multiple times.

Policy loophole

As the number of minority schools in Mumbai continues to rise, the debate over their purpose and impact on the city's educational landscape remains unresolved. To some, this trend signals a policy loophole that could undermine the inclusive intentions of the RTE Act. Many argue that an independent audit could ensure that minority status benefits genuinely reach the intended communities.

Akhil Chitre, general secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS), alleged, "Many schools with minority status enrol only a small percentage of students from the communities they are meant to serve. This status provides them with benefits, such as exemption from reservation policies and greater autonomy in setting fees. I urge the education and minority affairs departments to audit these schools' enrolments since they gained minority status. This is a significant issue, and these institutions are not fulfilling their role as minority-designated schools."

A March 2021 survey by the NCPCR found that 62.5 per cent of students in minority schools nationwide are from non-minority communities. In some states, this figure exceeds 70 per cent, raising further questions about the alignment of minority school status with actual student demographics.

A senior official from School Education Department clarified the process for granting minority status. "Minority status is granted by the Maharashtra Minorities Development Department, with oversight from the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) under the NCMEI Act of 2004. The NCMEI ensures that minority communities' educational rights are upheld by designating minority status to qualifying institutions," the official explained. "Once minority status is conferred, the School Education Department ensures these schools receive all associated benefits and exemptions. However, we have received complaints about potential violations and plan to investigate. If schools are found in violation of guidelines, we will address the matter with the Minorities Development Department and pursue appropriate action."

1,731
No. of pvt schools in Mumbai