Mumbai: Over 674 schools in Maharashtra were identified as unauthorised, with 238 of them in Mumbai alone, Education Commissioner, Suraj Mandhare directed the Director of Primary and Secondary Education to take immediate action and asked the Deputy Director of Education to take action after discussing it with the task force.
Dinkar Temkar, Director of Primary Education, has issued orders to all Primary and Secondary Education Officers and Teacher Inspectors in Brihanmumbai South, North, and West. A fine of Rs. 1 lakh will be charged to these schools. Schools that operate despite the state notice will be fined Rs. 10,000 per day.
The list of unauthorised schools is based on information from the state government's Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) database for 2020-21, and the schools did not upload the essential information on this portal. It also shows that these institutions have not been approved or recognised by the education department. These unauthorized schools have not applied for or received approval from the Department of Education.
After the circular was issued, the Mumbai Education department started working to put up the list and take action against all these unauthorized schools in Mumbai. Raju Tadvi, Education Officer of Mumbai, said, "This year, we released the school names on our BMC portal, and if the school doesn't follow instructions, we'll take strict action against them. Every year we urge parents not to admit their children to these schools. We'll send out the warning to parents once again."
Demanding the immediate action against the unauthorised schools this time, Amar Ekad, President of Cops student organization, said, "When the circular about charging Rs 1 lakh and displaying a flex board was issued before, the education department did not take any action against these schools. We demand that the state's list of unauthorised schools be made public on the government's website and in a reputable publication so that parents, teachers, and non-teaching staff are not misled."
"Students should not be admitted to these schools, and action will be taken against these schools. A public notice would be put up on huge hoardings in public places and outside the entrance gate of the illegal schools," read the circular issued by the Directorate of Primary Education, Dinkar Temkar.
He has also directed the Deputy Director, Divisional Education, and all the departments to submit a consolidated report of the action taken to the Directorate, instructing their respective Regional Offices.
