102 unauthorised schools in MMR shut in last academic year

Mumbai: A total of 47 out of 289 unauthorised private primary schools in the city were closed in the last academic year by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and education department. These closures contribute to a larger effort to address the prevalence of illegal schools. Another 55 similarly illegal schools in Raigad, Palghar, and Thane districts were also shut down in the last academic year.

Following this, in May, the deputy director of education (DyDE) instructed officials to submit a fresh report on illegal schools operating across the larger Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The exercise yielded a total of 517 primary schools, which were found to be operating illegally across the five MMR districts.

During a special drive, 13 of these schools received approval, while 88 schools were closed by authorities. Additionally, two schools faced penalties, and 416 deemed illegal schools are still operational in the MMR region, awaiting government approval.

In the secondary section, a total of 97 schools were identified as illegal, with 13 of them obtaining approval during the process. Authorities closed 14 schools, while one school faced penalties. Presently, 70 secondary schools are categorised as illegal and are in the process of obtaining government approval.

State education minister Deepak Kesarkar had stated in March that Maharashtra is home to 800 illegal schools, and action, including closure, would be taken against them if the necessary documents were not provided by school authorities.

To minimise academic disruption, students from these schools were accommodated in nearby schools. As per the report, around 1,500 students were relocated to neighbouring schools following counselling sessions conducted for their parents, who were unaware of the approval status of the schools.

However, the closure process in Mumbai has been criticised for its slow pace. Nitin Dalvi, an education activist, highlighted the need for swift action and stated, “The education department had directed punitive measures against these schools. If the imposed penalties are not collected, necessary FIRs should be registered, and these schools should be closed.”

According to the report, the department has only collected approximately ₹ 3 lakh in fines from three schools. Dalvi added, “The education department has penalised schools with weaker financial backgrounds, while some eligible schools are liable for penalties of up to ₹ 3 crore.”

Private primary schools in Mumbai division come under various local education officers, which includes BMC education department, under the DyDE come various zonal offices such as Mumbai South, Mumbai North, Mumbai West, and Mumbai City. In Mumbai division, other districts education officers also give permission to open schools, which include Thane, Raigad and Palghar.