Ludhiana: 2 private schools to shut down for violating RTE Act, orders DEO

A six-member inspection committee, headed by DEO Kaur and block primary officers (BPOs) visited schools across the district; both schools were found operating without valid registration under the Right to Education (RTE) Act and did not possess a Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) code

The district education officer (DEO) (elementary education), Ravinder Kaur, have ordered two private schools, Sarthak Academy and Prerna Academy, to shut down immediately for violating key education laws. Both schools were found operating without valid registration under the Right to Education (RTE) Act and did not possess a Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) code.

The DEO has directed the management of both schools to ensure that all enrolled students are shifted to nearby government schools to avoid any disruption in their education. (Hindustan Times Media)

The action follows an inspection drive launched by DEO Kaur and her team last month. The campaign focused on identifying private schools running without proper approvals. A six-member inspection committee, headed by DEO Kaur and block primary officers (BPOs), was tasked with visiting schools across the district.

During one such visit, the team inspected Sarthak Academy, which had been operating for nearly four years and had enrolled 96 students from nursery to Class 7. The inspection revealed that all the students were attending regular classes in a single hall, which violates the norms laid out in the RTE Act, 2009, and Punjab State RTE Rules, 2011.

In response to a notice issued by the committee, the school claimed that it was operating as a tuition centre and not as a formal school. However, the presence of regular classes for multiple classes led the officials to conclude otherwise. “Running such an institution without proper recognition is a violation of Section 18(1) of the RTE Act,” said DEO Kaur.

Similarly, Prerna Academy claimed in a letter dated May 2 that it too is functioning as a tuition centre. But the inspection team found 65 students from Class 1 to 5 attending formal classes on campus, which contradicted the school’s statement.

As a result, both institutions have been declared illegal and ordered to close with immediate effect. The DEO has also directed the management of both schools to ensure that all enrolled students are shifted to nearby government schools to avoid any disruption in their education.