April 16 deadline for SoBo schools to submit documents

The education department has asked all schools in south Mumbai to submit their affiliation and approval documents by April 16.

The education department has asked all schools in south Mumbai to submit their affiliation and approval documents by April 16.

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It is mandatory for all schools to have proof of affiliation to their respective board and an approval from the state education department. If a school is found to be lacking these, they could face a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh.

Every educational trust has to first obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from the state government to start a school. The school then submits the NOC to the education board to get an affiliation.

“The Right to Education (RTE) Act states that no school in the state can run without the approval of the state government. It also says that if a school has failed to obtain an approval, the school will have to pay a fine,” said Balasaheb Mane, education inspector, south zone. “We want to keep a record of all the schools, so we have asked them to submit their documents.”

Principals said that most schools in south Mumbai have approvals. “If the education department wants the documents, we will submit them,” said MP Sharma, director, GD Somani Memorial School, Cuff Parade.