Mumbai: Vinod Tawde orders probe into multiple board affiliations

Education Minister Vinod Tawde heard many complaints from parents

Education Minister Vinod Tawde has ordered an inquiry against schools that are affiliated with more than one board of education.

He gave the order while hearing complaints of parents of four unaided private schools - Universal High School (Dahisar), Thakur International School (Kandivli), Lokhandwala Foundation High School and Garodia International School (Ghatkopar). All of these schools have more than one board. For instance, the six-storey Garodia International School is affiliated with IGCSE, ICSE and IB boards.

At the hearing convened by him yesterday against four schools for multiple board affiliations. Pic/Bipin Kokate

"According to the Right to Education Act, schools are not supposed to run more than one board on their campuses. I have asked education inspectors to conduct an inquiry and get details of all errant schools," said Tawde.

An official from the department of education said the officials will also check if the schools have valid permits. "After that, we will send a show-cause notice to errant schools and initiate an inquiry against officials who granted them the permission."

Nishant Garodia, director of Garodia International School, said the institute has all the requisite permissions in place to operate classes under IGCSE, ICSE and IB boards.

Jayant Jain, president of Forum for Fairness in Education, however, alleged that yesterday's hearing was only an eyewash. "Operating classes under different boards from the same premises is an offence under the RTE Act. Why didn't government officials inspect schools' records all these years? All errant government officials must be booked for negligence of duty. A FIR must also be filed against school managements for cheating parents."