The education system of Maharashtra, once regarded as one of India’s better-managed, is facing an invisible crisis — ghost schools. These are unrecognised, unapproved, or even non-existent institutions that continue to operate freely, often enrolling hundreds of children without fulfilling a single government norm. Despite repeated crackdowns and policy warnings, these shadow schools are not only surviving but thriving, right under the nose of the state’s education machinery.
The Present Situation
As of 2025, government data indicates over 670 unrecognised schools operating across Maharashtra. Of these, 239 are in Mumbai, 148 in Thane, and 143 in Palghar. These schools function without the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) or recognition under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which makes them technically illegal.
What’s more alarming is that a large number of these institutions continue to collect fees, conduct exams, and issue certificates — all without approval or oversight. Some are running out of small rental buildings, godowns, and even apartments.
Despite official orders to shut them down, most remain functional. District education officers have acknowledged that immediate closures are avoided because doing so mid-session would leave thousands of children without schools.
How These Ghost Schools Operate
- Operating Without Recognition: Many private entities start schools without going through the recognition process, claiming they’ve “applied” and are “awaiting approval.” These applications often remain pending for years.
- Attracting Low-Income Families: These schools primarily target parents who cannot afford high-fee private institutions. With promises of English-medium education, they charge minimal fees and operate in underserved localities.
- Lack of Oversight: Since these schools are outside the recognised framework, there are no mandatory inspections, safety checks, or teacher qualification verifications. Most employ untrained teachers at extremely low salaries.
- Manipulating Data: In many cases, unrecognised schools fudge student enrolment records to secure unofficial grants or charitable donations. Some even claim government benefits illegally.
- Political Protection: Local political figures often shield such institutions from closure, citing “public demand” or fear of backlash from affected families.
Consequences for Students
Children enrolled in these schools are the ultimate victims. They study in overcrowded rooms without proper ventilation, sanitation, or teaching aids. Since the schools aren’t recognised, their certificates hold no legal validity, putting their academic progression at risk.
If a school is later shut down, students are often forced to transfer mid-year, repeating classes or facing rejection from recognised institutions that question their credentials.
Parents, meanwhile, remain largely unaware of the long-term consequences — believing they are giving their children a fair shot at education, when in reality, they are paying for an illusion.
Root Causes of the Problem
- Slow Recognition Process: Legitimate schools often face years of bureaucratic delay in obtaining approval. Many institutions choose to start classes anyway, assuming permission will come later.
- Demand–Supply Gap: Government schools in densely populated or remote areas cannot accommodate all children. Unrecognised private schools fill this gap, though often without meeting quality standards.
- Weak Inspection Mechanism: The education department lacks adequate staff for regular audits and field inspections, allowing such institutions to slip through unnoticed.
- Economic Incentives: Running a school, even illegally, is profitable. Minimal investment in infrastructure and staff can yield steady income from tuition fees.
- Social and Political Pressure: Officials hesitate to close down illegal schools due to potential backlash from parents and local communities.
Recent Developments and Government Response
In 2024 and 2025, the Maharashtra Education Department identified and issued closure notices to hundreds of unrecognised schools. Yet, a majority of them continue to operate.
Simultaneously, a separate probe uncovered over 300 junior colleges receiving government salary grants without any enrolled students — essentially ghost institutions drawing public funds. Following media exposure, the Bombay High Court intervened and sought explanations from the state.
The state government has promised a new digital recognition and monitoring portal to ensure transparency in school registration and compliance tracking. However, progress remains slow.
The Way Forward
- Fast-Track Recognition or Deregistration: Schools awaiting approval must be reviewed swiftly. Those meeting minimum standards should be recognised, and others de-registered immediately.
- Centralised Verification System: A public online database of all recognised schools should be maintained for parents to verify before admissions.
- Strict Enforcement and Penalties: Authorities must impose heavy fines or criminal charges on institutions that repeatedly ignore closure orders.
- Transition Support for Students: Before shutting down an illegal school, ensure affected students are relocated to nearby recognised institutions without academic loss.
- Community Awareness Drives: Educate parents about the importance of recognition and how to verify a school’s legal status.
Conclusion
The ghost schools of Maharashtra represent a moral and administrative failure. They expose the cracks in a system where poor families’ desperation meets bureaucratic apathy. Behind every unrecognised classroom is a child being denied legitimate education — a child whose future might one day collapse under the weight of a fake certificate.
Maharashtra’s education story cannot be complete while hundreds of its schools remain invisible to the law. Recognition must not be a privilege; it must be the baseline. Only then can the state claim that every child truly goes to school — and not to a shadow of one.
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