Mumbai: ‘Take action against schools that don’t have RTE approval’

Gloria Convent School in Byculla is among the schools that don’t have RTE approval. Pic/X

Furious over the lack of action against schools without the mandatory RTE recognition, an NGO has issued a legal notice to the BMC education officer and state education secretary. The NGO has warned that it will file a PIL within next 15 days against the education department for failing to take action against schools openly violating norms of the Right To Education (RTE) Act.

As per the information sought through RTI from the BMC earlier this year there are now 218 schools in the city operating without RTE recognition for the past several years. The story was first reported by mid-day in its March 16, 2023 edition. As 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. Failing to get the renewal, schools could be fined Rs 10,000 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 lakh.

Under RTE, the BMC is the authority to grant recognition to the schools in Mumbai. Some of the prominent schools in this list include Anandilal Podar High School (Santacruz), Raje Shivaji Primary School (Dadar), St Michaels High School (Mahim), St Andrews 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 (Borivali), Rustomjee Troopers (Dahisar) and VPM's Vidya Mandir Primary School (Dahisar).

Speaking to mid-day, Nitin Dalvi of NGO Maharashtra Rajya Vidyarthi, Palak, Shikshak Mahasangh said: "Our repeated complaints and reminders regarding the schools without RTE approvals have not received the serious attention they deserve. It is disheartening that the BMC education department disregarded letters from both the state education department and the Maharashtra State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR)." The outcome of the NGO's persistent efforts is a report made by the BMC's education department.

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Dalvi said, "The BMC report submitted about two months ago seemed like they were playing down the matter. The BMC and state education departments have failed to implement the RTE Act and schools are openly flouting norms. All this has prompted us to send them a legal notice. We have already begun the process of filing a PIL against the education department. They will now answer these questions in the court."

Clarifying the BMC's stance, a senior BMC education officer said, "These schools already possess NOC from the state government and recognition from the BMC. However, in compliance with RTE norms, they are required to obtain RTE recognition, for which they must adhere to the 10 criteria outlined in the Act. To secure the recognition certificate, these schools need to submit certificates regarding structural stability and other relevant documents pertaining to their infrastructure. As for these 218 schools, we are currently exploring appropriate steps to address their situation. It's important to understand that, despite lacking RTE recognition, these schools do not fall under the category of unrecognised schools."

Reacting to the BMC's response, Dalvi said: "This implies that these schools, operating without RTE recognition, have remained unchecked. The education department, by failing to address critical issues like fire safety audits and structural stability, is potentially jeopardising the safety of students and allowing these schools to continue operating."

218
No of schools in city sans RTE approval