Erring schools told to submit documents by April 30

At least 800 schools in the Indian state have been asked to submit documentation by April 30 or face closure for the next academic year. The state education department has closed 77 schools that had no documentation or permits, and has asked others with incomplete paperwork to pay a fine or face closure. Schools running unofficially have also been inspected, with errors found in the documents of around 800.

The state education department has urged at least 800 schools affiliated with various boards to submit proper documents by April 30. Some bogus schools were either asked to pay a fine or stay closed for the upcoming academic year.

Apart from state board schools, 1,700 other schools which are running unofficially in the state have been inspected recently. A delegation of education officials had gone to inspect these schools. Out of them, errors have been found in the documents of about 800 schools. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

“We are scrutinising schools in three phases. Firstly, there are some schools which do not have any kind of documentation or permissions to run the schools. Accordingly, we have closed 77 such schools in the state. Secondly, there are schools which have incomplete documents and permissions. Such schools are told to pay fines from ₹ 1.5 lakh to ₹ 10,000 per day till they submit the required documents to the state education department. Thirdly, there are schools which are given a last chance to submit their necessary documents till April 30 or else they will be closed for next academic year,” said state education commissioner Suraj Mandhare.

“This action is taken on priority and our efforts are to complete this work by April 30, so that it will help parents while taking admission during the next academic year,” he added.

Apart from state board schools, 1,700 other schools which are running unofficially in the state have been inspected recently. A delegation of education officials had gone to inspect these schools. Out of them, errors have been found in the documents of about 800 schools.

As these errors were serious, the schools were thoroughly investigated. No Objection Certificate (Original NOC) of the school, Approval Certificate of the concerned Board, or Letter of Intent issued by the State Government are being verified in the main.

“Our appeal to parents and students is to check the details of schools properly before taking admission and we have strictly instructed all schools to display required documents at prominent places in the institute,” said Mandhare.