PUNE: When Shradha K sought admission to Std I for her son last year, she was caught in a whirlwind of advertisements, debates over educational boards, and promises of top-notch facilities.
Identifying a school that prioritised quality education over mere infrastructure felt daunting, especially amid reports of schools arbitrarily hiking fees.
After painstakingly visiting schools, scrutinising media reports, and seeking opinions from other parents, Shradha finally made her choice. However, not all parents have the time or resources to undertake such a meticulous process.
Pune Zilla Parishad education officer Sanjay Naikade has issued a comprehensive advisory to address these challenges and prevent parents from being misled.
Parents have been urged to verify important details such as the school’s affiliation certificate, its valid UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) number, and whether the facilities promised in advertisements that are published are genuinely in place.
“If parents find any discrepancies or missing facilities, they can lodge a complaint with the education department, and police action will be initiated against schools engaging in false advertising,” the officer warned.
In addition, the Pune ZP will release a list of authorised schools in the district between Dec 16 and 18 on their official website www.zppune.org, enabling parents to cross-check the legitimacy of their shortlisted schools. Naikade emphasised the importance of vigilance, urging parents to verify critical safety measures such as the installation of functional CCTV cameras, availability of fitness certificates for school vehicles, and the submission of character certificates for drivers. Ensuring these basics is as much the parents’ responsibility as the schools, he said.
There are 7,221 schools across Pune district affiliated to various boards and education in different mediums.
“We strongly caution schools against misleading parents with false advertisements. Strict action, including the filing of criminal cases, will be taken up against any institution found guilty of such practices. All officers have been directed to ensure that no unauthorised school operates within their jurisdiction,” he said.
Area officers will conduct thorough surveys to identify and address the presence of any unauthorised institutions, he added.
