High Court Halts Controversial Govt Decision on School Recognition; Relief for Marathi-Medium Schools

Akola – In a major relief to private and partially aided Marathi-medium schools, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has stayed the implementation of the Maharashtra government’s controversial order dated March 15, 2024. The order, issued under the Right to Education Act, introduced revised school recognition norms which unexpectedly led to several schools being marked as having ‘zero teachers’—creating panic among institutions and threatening the education of thousands of students.

Following the sudden fallout, the Akola District Educational Institutions’ Management Board, Amravati School Management Association, and several private school heads from Amravati jointly filed a petition in the High Court. During the first hearing, Justice Rohit Joshi directed the state government to maintain a "status quo" regarding the teacher count and demanded a response from the concerned authorities.

At a press conference held at Jagruti School, Akola, Board President Adv. Vilas Wakhare highlighted the threat posed by the order to free and essential education under the RTE Act. He pointed out that many schools, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, may face permanent closure, depriving economically weaker students of affordable education. He urged the government to reconsider the decision and strengthen, rather than weaken, the free education system.

Advocates Anand Deshpande and Mandar Wakhare argued the case on behalf of the petitioners, with support from Adv. Shriram Pundkar. The educational fraternity hopes the stay will lead to more inclusive and practical policy revisions that uphold children's right to education.

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