Pune issues advisory to stop misleading school advertisements

PUNE: When Shraddha K sought admission in Class 1 for her son last year, she was caught in a whirlwind of advertisements, debates in educational boards, and promises of better facilities.
Identifying a school that prioritizes quality education over just infrastructure felt challenging, especially amid reports of schools arbitrarily increasing fees.
After painstakingly visiting schools, checking media reports, and seeking opinions from other parents, Shraddha finally made her choice. However, not all parents have the time or resources to go through such a meticulous process.
Pune District Council Education officer Sanjay Naikade has issued a comprehensive advisory to address these challenges and prevent parents from going astray.
Parents are asked to verify important details like the affiliation certificate of the school, its valid UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) number, and whether the facilities promised in the published advertisements are genuine or not.
“If parents find any discrepancy or missing facilities, they can file a complaint with the education department, and police action will be initiated against schools involved in false advertising,” the official warned.
Additionally, Pune ZP will release the list Authorized Schools between December 16 and 18 in the district on their official website www.zppune.org, enabling parents to check the validity of their shortlisted schools. Emphasizing the importance of vigilance, Nayakade asked parents to verify important security measures like installation of functional CCTV cameras, availability of fitness certificates for school vehicles, and submission of character certificates for drivers. It is the responsibility of parents as schools to ensure these basics, he said.
Pune district has 7,221 schools affiliated to different boards and education in different mediums.
“We strongly warn schools not to mislead parents with false advertisements. If found guilty of such acts, strict action will be taken against the organization including filing criminal cases. All the officials have been directed to ensure that no unauthorized school is run within their jurisdiction,” he said.
The local authorities will conduct a thorough survey to identify and address the presence of any unauthorized organizations, he added.