Meghalaya tells 500+ unrecognised schools to get approval in 6 months or shut down

The Meghalaya government has issued a directive to more than 500 unrecognised schools operating in the state to secure formal recognition within six months, in line with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.

An official notification released on Friday mandates that all unrecognised schools must submit their applications in Form 1 to their respective District School Education Officers (DSEOs) immediately. Failure to obtain recognition within the specified time frame will lead to the closure of the institutions, and they will not be allowed to function thereafter.

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“No new schools shall be allowed to begin operations without obtaining prior recognition from the competent authority,” the notification added.

According to the UDISE+ 2023–24 data, Meghalaya currently has 7,779 government schools and a total of 14,601 educational institutions across the government, aided, and private sectors.

Authorities have urged all unrecognised institutions to approach their DSEOs without delay to initiate the recognition process.