Pune: The Zilla Parishad’s education department has issued a public advisory urging parents to verify the legal status of schools before seeking admission for their children. This comes in the wake of an alarming revelation: 13 unauthorized schools are operating across Pune city and its rural areas, while 24 recognized schools are not functioning at their officially approved locations. Additionally, 9 schools have received only a Letter of Intent (LOI) and are yet to receive final approval from the authorities.
The warning follows a growing trend among parents to seek admission into English-medium schools. However, the lack of awareness about a school’s official recognition status often leads to them being misled by advertisements and false claims.
To prevent such incidents, the district administration has published an updated list of unauthorized schools and has initiated steps to shut them down. Sanjay Naikade, Education Officer of the Zilla Parishad, cautioned, “Parents must avoid enrolling their children in unauthorized schools, as it could jeopardize their education and future.”
Despite lacking government recognition, several schools continue to advertise and enroll students. Acting on this, the education department has mandated that municipal bodies, Panchayat Samitis, and block education officers take immediate action to shut down these institutions.
Out of the 24 government-recognized schools operating from unapproved locations:
1 school each is in Daund, Haveli, Purandar, and Maval talukas
7 in Mulshi taluka
3 in Khed
1 in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation
9 in Pune Municipal Corporation
This is the second time in six months that such a list has been issued. In January, the education department released a similar warning, and with the new academic year approaching, the list has been reiterated. Notably, two schools from the previous list have reappeared, indicating no corrective action has been taken.
List of 13 Unauthorized Schools in Pune District:
S.P. English Medium School, Avalwadi, Wagholi
Colour School, Tathawade
New Wisdom International School, Perne
Kingsway Public School, Lonavala
Majhi Shala, Tathawade
New Millennium Star English Medium School (Gyan Sagar Education Society), Bibwewadi
Ideal Public School, Dhayari (Swami Vivekanand Education Foundation, Nanded, Pune)
Mahatma Gandhi Prashala Sanjay Park English (Jeevan Mitra Education Society)
Teams Taqwa Islamic School and Maktab (Taqwa Education Trust), Kondhwa Khurd
St. View International School (Samarpan Christian Trust), Kondhwa Budruk
Emmanuel Public School, Mohammadwadi Road, Hadapsar
Marathon International School, Shewalwadi, Solapur Road
Aryan World School, Narhe (Elora Medical and Education Foundation)
What Parents Should Do
The education department has strongly advised parents to:
Verify the school’s recognition status with the local education office
Avoid enrolling their children in schools without final approval
Report unauthorized schools to authorities
