Mumbai: Schools flouting RTE norms come under govt scanner

The school education department has directed the state education commissioner to conduct a thorough investigation on complaints from an education activist concerning the lack of action taken against 218 schools operating without recognition under the Right to Education RTE Act The schools have been operating without recognition for several yearsThey continued to operate despite failing to get their recognition extended the response to an RTI query revealedThe letter by the school education department dated July 27 reads ldquoFollowing a complaint by Nitin Dalvi against the Director of Education Sharad Gosavi and the delay in action against schools operating without RTE approvals kindly conduct an indepth investigation in the matter at the earliestrdquoThe list of defaulters includes some of the most prominent schools in the city Representation picInterestingly the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights MSCPCR had also written to the director of education primary on July 26 seeking details of action taken against schools operating without RTE approvals and officials who have failed to act against these schools for so many years This was after the BMC failed to give a response in this regardThe NGO Maharashtra Rajya Vidyarthi Palak Shikshak Mahasangh Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation through RTI in January had sought wardwise information regarding schools operating without RTE approval The BMCrsquos reply revealed that 218 private unaided primary schools across the city have failed to get their RTE recognitionapproval renewed The story was reported by midday in its March 16 editionSome of the prominent schools in the list include Anandilal Podar High School Santacruz Raja Shivaji primary school Dadar St Michaelrsquos High School Mahim St Andrewrsquos High School primary section Bandra St Aloysius primary school Santacruz The Alexander Girls High School Fort Gloria Convent Byculla St Pius X High School Nahur Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyalaya Borivli Rustomjee Troopers Dahisar and VPMrsquos Vidya Mandir primary school DahisarUnder the RTE Act 25 per cent of the total seats are reserved for the socioeconomically weaker sections of society The schools are expected to provide free education to these children and claim reimbursement from the Central as well as state government Also the Act requires all schools to adhere to 10 infrastructure standards such as a compound wall toilets drinking water playgrounds etc Every three years the schools must submit an application for an extensionrenewal of recognition or accreditation Following the introduction of the RTE Act a schoolrsquos recognition is only renewed if they have met these 10 standardsFailing to get the renewal schools could be fined R10000 per day until they meet the norms and for running the school in the absence of recognition the management of these schools will also have to pay a penalty of R1 lakh The BMC is the statutory body issuing the recognition certificate for primary schoolsIn addition under the RTE Act 2009 no school can operate without a certificate of recognition from the government authorityNitin Dalvi a Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation representative and educational activist said ldquoWe received an RTI reply revealing 218 schools in the city are operating without requisite RTE recognition Since then we have been writing to all education departments including the BMC education department and deputy director of school education However there has been no response hinting that there has been no action against these schoolsrdquoAccording to Dalvi to obtain or renew the RTE recognition it is mandatory for the school administration to submit the financial balance sheet to the government every year ldquoAfter submitting the balance sheet to the government and the parents the schoolrsquos financial irregularities such as illegal fees donations building rent financial scandals will come to light and the school administration will be in trouble This is why these schools have been evading the renewal process and I have said this multiple times to the authorities Is the education department doing this on purposerdquo he questionedAnother Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation representative Prasad Tulaskar said that recently there have been several allegations of corruption in the education department and there has been inquiry against officials at various levels including the AntiCorruption Bureau ldquoThis has led to financial loss to the state government as the state education department and BMC education department have not even levied fines on these schools for violation of the RTE Act by not renewing the approval This is a very sorry state and we demand actionrdquo he saidDeputy Education Officer of BMC Raju Tadvi was not available for comment218No of schools operating without RTE approvalJuly 27Day education commissioner was asked to investigate