Imphal, Jan 14: The implementation of the Right to Education Act (RTE) has deemed unrecognised private schools as illegal and under this Act, the School Education Department is making arrangements to take action against these schools in the State.
According to reliable sources, data from the Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) show there are more than 110 private schools that are not recognised by the Government in Manipur.
With the prohibition of such schools under the RTE Act, it is certain that action will taken up against them but what is not uncertain is the fate of the thousands of children studying in these schools.
The RTE Act 2009 says these unrecognized private schools are illegal. On the lines of provisions under the Act, the School Education Department said it had become mandatory to find the exact number of these schools and take necessary action against them.
Now the Department has found with data from the U-DISE that there are 110 such schools as of now, out of which there are 27 in Chu-rachandpur, 25 each in Thoubal and Senapati, 17 in Bishnupur and 16 in Imphal West. There is a possibility, according to reports from the Department, that there are more schools that are not included in the data collected by the U-DISE.
With an objective to keep a close eye on the functioning of schools and colleges in Manipur, the State Government has been delibera- ting on several acts and regulations including the Manipur Private Schools and Colleges Recognition Rules 1975, the RTE Act 2009 and RTE Rules 2010.
Under a one-time measure, arrangements have also been made to give recognition to those schools provided they fulfill the norms and standards or the infrastructure requirements specified under the Act.
The source mentioned that zonal education officers (ZEOs) under the School Education Department have been notified to submit detailed reports on the matter with regard to their respective jurisdictions before January 15.
Based on the reports of these ZEOs, the distinction between the recognised and unrecognised schools will be made as well as recognition will be given to those that have met the criteria.
The source added that those schools that do not fulfill the norms and standards and meet the infrastructure requirements will be facing the axe.
Recently, the School Education Department had notified in public interest that parents should ascertain whether the schools/educational institutes in which their children/wards are admitted have been recognised by the Government or not.
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