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KOLHAPUR: The state directorate primary education issued a circular on April 12 asking officials across the state to shut down illegal schools in their region before June 15.

In the circular, a copy of which is with TOI, education director (primary) Sunil Chauhan said the names of the schools running illegally would be published to make citizens wary of a school’s status.

Around 20 illegal classes and schools were operating across Kolhapur city and district in 2017-18. The district primary education department had issued notices to such schools to stop the operations of their classes in May 2017. However, the department had not received any response.

Chief executive officer (CEO) of Kolhapur ZP Kunal Khemnar said, “We will hold a meeting soon. Let the education officers put forth the relevant sections of the Right to Education (RTE) Act to take action against such schools.”

He said that as per the circular, the education officials have the authority to initiate action against such schools.

“Earlier, there was a provision to lodge a criminal case against illegal schools, but there was no clarity on who will do that. The higher authorities of the school education department and sports department were requested to initiate action against such schools or classes they are running. This cicrcular has given the education officers to take action agaisnt the illegal schools,” said Khemnar.

The circular has instructed officials to identify the illegal schools operating in their respective regions without formal approval or a yearly recognition letter. It added if the schools are operating without the state government’s recognition, they will face action under section 18 of the RTE Act, 2009.

It further asked the authorities to impose a fine of Rs 1 lakh on such schools.

Even after being served the notice, if the school does not close its operations, it will have to pay a fine of Rs 10,000 daily. It also said the state schools or the ones affiliated with the CBSE/ICSE/IB/IGCSE/CI board which are operating without the state government’s consent will be deemed an illegal school.

The circular instructed officials to publish the list of illegal schools in the local newspapers with an appeal to not admit students in these schools.

It has also asked officials to put flexes in front of those schools and resort to various other means to let citizens know about the illegal status of the school. The directorate has even sought for a report on the activity.

In 2014, when the then Kolhapur ZP CEO Vijay Suryavanshi slapped notices to illegal schools in the district and imposed fines on them, not a single school had paid the fine.

Education officer (primary), Kolhapur ZP, Subhash Chougule said many schools do not close their operations and instead apply for recognition on a self-financing basis. “In the past, many schools or the classes run by them in the city as well as the district, which were illegal, have now been approved by the school education department through the Self-Financed Schools Act.”

When asked what happens to the students of such schools, Chougule said the students are generally made to appear for the board examinations from other recognised schools.

