RTE fallout: 218 private city schools face penalty in Mumbai

If rules under the Right to Education RTE Act 2009 are strictly enforced 218 unaided private schools in Mumbai under purview of the BMC including several prominent ones are likely to be penalised These schools have been operating without recognition for RTE for the past several years having failed to get it renewed revealed an RTI replyAs per the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education RTE Act schools are expected to renew their RTE approval every three years Failing to get the renewal means schools could be fined Rs 10000 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 Rs 1 lakhUnder RTE schools are expected to provide free education to children from socioeconomically weaker sections of society Representation picAtul KambleIn a recent reply to wardwise information sought by the NGO Maharashtra Rajya VidyarthiPaalak Shikshak Mahasangh Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation through RTI in January the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC revealed that 218 private unaided primary schools across the city have failed to get their RTE recognition approval renewedAlso Read Mumbai After 132 years this SoBo school opens gates to girlsSome of the prominent schools include Anandilal Podar High School Santacruz Raje Shivaji primary school Dadar St Michaelrsquos high school Mahim St Andrewrsquos high school primary section Bandra St Aloysius primary school Santacruz The Alexandra 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 DahisarAs per BMC officials while some of the 218 schools have failed to renew their recognition for as long as 2016 some have applied after the deadline given to themldquoAs these institutions were at one point recognised I believe that before taking any action we must take into account a number of things from a humanitarian perspective We urge these institutions to submit their renewal requests on time Action will be taken as per the RTE Act against those who have not renewed their RTE recognition in years or have been breaking the rulesrdquo said a senior official from the BMC education departmentWhat the RTE Act statesUnder 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 central as well as state governmentsThe Act also 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 RTE Actrsquos introduction a schoolsrsquo recognition is only renewed if it has met these 10 standardsIn addition under the RTE Act of 2009 no school can operate without a certificate of recognition from the government authority The BMC is the statutory body issuing the recognition certificate for primary schoolsState had warnedIn January this year the Maharashtra school education department had ordered a crackdown against 674 schools not recognised under the RTE ActAccording to the stateschool education department several schools primary and secondary do not register for approval under RTE or renew their approval to evade RTE admissionsThe office of the director of education Krishnakumar Patil had in January 2023 issued an order stating ldquoImmediate action should be taken against these schools failing which disciplinary action will be taken against the officers from the department The unrecognised schools will have to pay R10000 per day if they continue to operaterdquoPenalise violators activistsEducation activists have alleged that schools are not renewing RTE recognition to evade implementation and hide financial irregularitiesldquoWhile getting RTE approval it is compulsory for the school administration to submit the balance sheet to the government every year But if they submit it to the government and the parents a schoolrsquos financial irregularities such as illegal fees donations building rent financial scandals etc will come to light and its administration will be in troublerdquo alleged Nitin Dalvi a Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation representative and educational activistDalvi added ldquoThe municipal education department has caused the government a revenue loss of crores of rupees by not collecting fines from schools running without RTE recognition certificaterdquoAnother Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation representative Prasad Tulaskar said ldquoIt is illegal to run a school without RTE approval But the number of schools which have not renewed the RTE approval shows that no one is taking RTE seriously in Mumbai So many schools are continuing without approval only to evade RTE norms and hide their financial irregularities The RTI reply proves that the BMC education department has failed to implement RTE norms properlyrdquoCiting why so many cases of RTE violation are coming to light across the state even after so many years since the act came into effect the Maharashtra State StudentParent Teacher Federation has now threatened to move theBombay High Court for the strict implementation of the RTE ActRs 10KFine per day until the school meets RTE norms