Parents Move Court Over Teacher Shortfall in Schools

13 parents from Wardha move HC over new rule curbing appointments in government schools; say it violates RTE

- Niraj Pandit

MUMBAI: A group of 13 parents from Maharashtra's Wardha district have come together to challenge a recent policy of the state government which they say threatens the future of their children's education.

The petition, filed before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court (HC) on Friday, urges the court to quash a government decision that limits teacher appointments in government schools with fewer than 20 students.

At the heart of the issue is a government resolution (GR) dated March 15, 2024, which revised teacher appointment norms under a policy known as Sanch Manyata.

This policy, now implemented across Maharashtra, links the number of teachers directly to student enrollment numbers, instead of the grades or classes being taught.

The petition urges court to quash the GR, arguing that it violates the fundamental Right to Education guaranteed by the Constitution and Right to Education Act (RTE Act), 2009.

According to data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), more than 18,000 schools in Maharashtra currently have fewer than 20 students.

Under the Sanch Manyata rules, these schools are allocated just one teacher regardless of the number of grades or classes being taught.

This directly contradicts existing standards under the RTE Act, 2009.

As per the RTE Act, schools are required to have at least one teacher for Classes 1 to 5, and three subject-specific teachers for Classes 6 to 8, to cover science, mathematics, social science and languages.