Form PTA or shut shop, schools told
Mumbai: Shape up or ship out. Thats the governments message to all schools across Maharashtra that do not have a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA).
Over a decade after the state government made PTAs mandatory in all schools in Maharashtra, irrespective of the board they follow, the state has once again issued a government resolution (GR) reminding educational institutes to follow the rules. Any school that does not adhere to the guidelines on PTAs will lose government recognition, states the new GR.
The government has revised the existing rules for PTAs. The GR makes it mandatory for all schools to consult parents over fee hikes. It also talks of how schools need to be transparent about the fees they charge and justify where the money is going. All parents/guardians at a school will be members of the PTA.
The GR further states that while a PTA should be involved in the academic progress of students as well as the extra-curricular activities conducted by students, they should not interfere in the day-to-day functioning of the school.
Every two years, schools should form a new PTA committee. A member who has completed his tenure on the committee cant be re-appointed for the next five years. The PTA, to be formed within two weeks of the new academic year, must conduct bimonthly meetings.