Gujarat tightens private school recruitment rules, raises penalty for illegal appointments

Gujarat has made reservation compliance compulsory for staff recruitment in aided private schools after the state Assembly passed an amendment bill introducing stricter rules and penalties for violations.

The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Act, 1972 Amendment Bill seeks to bring greater consistency and accountability to recruitment in grant-aided schools while tightening regulatory provisions governing secondary and higher secondary education.

Under the amended framework, the state's existing reservation policy will be implemented in staff appointments at aided private schools.

The government will prescribe qualifications, recruitment procedures and selection norms for principals, teachers, special educators and non-teaching staff in government-aided institutions.

The bill also provides for the appointment of special educators, creating a legal framework for their recruitment in schools to support students with disabilities and special educational needs.

For private, non-grant-aided schools, the state government will specify qualifications for principals, teachers, special educators and non-teaching employees through regulations.

The amendments are intended to improve justice, accountability, transparency, inclusion and efficiency in the secondary education system.

The government said clearer definitions of grant-aided and non-grant-aided schools would also reduce administrative confusion and strengthen the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board's regulatory oversight.

Tougher penalties have been proposed for illegal appointments and other violations. An operator who illegally appoints a principal or teacher in a grant-aided secondary or higher secondary school could now face a fine of up to ₹10 lakh, replacing the earlier ₹1,000 penalty.

The bill also bars schools from operating without registration with the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board.

Violations that earlier carried a ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh fine could now result in imprisonment of one to two years, a ₹10 lakh to ₹15 lakh fine, or both.

The penalty for shutting down a registered secondary or higher secondary school during the academic year without informing the Board has also been increased. The earlier ₹1,000 fine for failing to provide six months' notice will be replaced with a ₹20 lakh penalty.

The government said the stronger provisions are intended to prevent disruptions to students' education and protect their academic interests.

The amendment further revises the composition and representation of elected members on the education board.

Teachers from registered secondary schools, excluding post-basic and government schools, will elect one representative, while separate provisions will govern representation from government schools, higher basic schools and higher secondary schools.

Representation for non-teaching employees has also been expanded to explicitly cover both government-aided private schools and wholly private schools at the secondary and higher secondary levels.

The bill also removes the word "private" from the provision governing Parent Association representation. As a result, presidents of Parent Associations from all registered secondary and higher secondary schools will be eligible to participate in the election process.

The government said the changes have been framed with the interests of students as the central consideration.