School edu dept to bring in new act to regulate kindergartens

The state of Maharashtra in India is planning to introduce a new act to regulate pre-primary education, addressing concerns over private kindergartens. The act, aligned with the National Education Policy, aims to improve the quality of education and control arbitrary fees. A draft has been submitted to the government for approval, and a bill will be presented in the upcoming budget session. The regulation emphasizes accreditation, curriculum standards, and minimum facilities, with the goal of ensuring equality in kindergarten education.

MUMBAI: In a move aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the state’s school education department is gearing up to bring in a new act to regulate pre-primary education. The new act, which will be implemented from the next academic year, addresses concerns related to the recognition of private kindergartens (KGs), minimum facilities and curriculum.

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The department has prepared a regulatory draft to control and oversee private kindergartens, which has been officially submitted to the state government for approval. A bill will be presented during the upcoming budget session, specifically designed to regulate private kindergartens; this legislative initiative signals the state government’s proactive measures to assert control over private kindergartens in the coming academic year.

“The urgent need for regulation stems from concerns about the quality of education and the arbitrary fees prevalent in many private KG schools,” said Suraj Mandhare, commissioner, state school education. “Currently, there is no standardised approval process for starting a KG, leaving these institutions outside the purview of government control. Mandhare further emphasised that the NEP had brought pre-primary education under the broader education umbrella, necessitating governmental control over private kindergartens.

The meticulously prepared draft regulation outlining control measures over private kindergartens has been developed in consultation with experts. It places strong emphasis on accreditation processes, curriculum standards and minimum facilities. Notably, the current lack of control over fees will be addressed in the proposed regulation. The primary objective is to instil equality in the diverse learning processes employed by different kindergartens.

“The regulatory framework will be set in motion if the bill secures approval during the coming assembly budget session,” said Mandhare. “The anticipated control measures are poised to bring about a paradigm shift in private KG education in the state.”