Do groundwork before admission
The recent survey, which states that large number of students study in unrecognised schools, alarms me. However I made sure that my childgoes to a government recognised school and I can also vouch for its credibility. We had done our ground work before securing admission for our child. But many times, the standard of education in unrecognised schools is not upto the mark. There are so many students cramped in the same class. Individuals need to be careful as running unrecognised schools is a criminal offence, but many parents may unknowingly take admission in the same outfits.
—Kavita
Don’t play with future of nation
This development is quite shocking. Despite having state machinery, we are unable to check this illegality in the education system. I will certainly verify if the school is recognised before putting my ward into the same. The government must carry out periodic checks on such educational institutes. They must create awareness among parents and educate them about the consequences of enrolling children in such schools. For those residing in slums, educating children is like giving them an opportunity to rise out of poverty. Unscrupulous elements must not be allowed to play with the future of children.
—Dhaval Majithia
Guardians unaware about seriousness
I’m not sure if many parents are even aware about the existence of numerous unrecognised schools in the city. Sometimes, despite being aware also parents without realising the gravity of the situation, go ahead and seek admission to such schools. Maybe, somewhere ignorance on the part of the parents is also to be blamed. We need to be aware about all the details regarding the school. If we sense that something is amiss or there is a problem with the functioning of the school, we need to report it to the concerned authority.
—Jasmina Shah
Pupils will be facing a bleak future
This is really sad to hear that even in an advanced city like Mumbai, there are many unrecognised schools. The future of such children is bleak. In higher and professional studies, there are authorised bodies like All India Council for Technical Education or University Grants Commission approved courses. One also wonders about the facility and instructors at such institutes. If they are not upto the mark, then they are producing a generation which has acquired inaccurate knowledge. While the educated may know about the difference between the various schools, the uneducated are left in the lurch.
—Suruchi Sharma
Expert view
Be alert, ask forindex number
I completely agree with the analysis of Human Development Report that says there are a large number of schools, which are not recognised in Mumbai. Many parents are being cheated by these schools, as they aren’t aware about how to find out about the recognition of educational institutes. To know whether the school is recognised or not a parent should ask for the index number given by the department of education of the Maharashtra government.
When parents don’t make proper enquiries and ask for the registration number, schools try to trick them by showing the registration of their trust. So it is not the criteria to judge whether the school is recognised or not.Sometimes recognition is given only upto a certain grade, hence parents must makesure of all these stipulations before theyenrol their wards. The government has not taken this issue seriously, which is why everywhere in Mumbai there are unrecognised schools.
—Arundhati Chavan, president, parent teacher association
Lack of awareness behind the practice
The fact that there are many unrecognised schools prevailing in Mumbai is something that the media has highlighted regularly. This practice has been prevailing because government has not taken this issue seriously. The state has made some stringent rules which have always discouraged some schools to go in for recognition. These schools are running their business because no authority can take any action against them. Moreover if there is any inspection, it is easy for them to get away with punishment. Many parents don’t bother to take efforts to find out whether the school is recognised. Although some may want to complain about this issue, but there is no such forum where they can openly reach out for redressal of their problem or for open dialogue.
—Kavita Anand,executive director, Shishuva
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