Arunachal Pradesh Education Minister Passang Dorjee Sona has said the state government has stopped approving new private schools and has not entertained proposals for private universities amid concerns over regulatory gaps and compliance.
Speaking at the first foundation day-cum-scholars’ meet of the Rajiv Gandhi University Research Scholars’ Forum (RGURSF) near Itanagar on Monday, Sona said he had withheld recognition for new private schools until a revised regulatory framework was introduced.
Sona said several applications for new private schools had reached his office since he took charge, but none had been approved. He said the decision aimed to establish clear and effective standards for private educational institutions.
While acknowledging the role of private schools in the state’s education system, the minister said their expansion should meet standards relating to academic quality, student safety, institutional accountability and regulatory compliance.
He also pointed to shortcomings in the existing monitoring mechanism, saying some schools had not fully complied with prescribed requirements. He said gaps in the inspection process and existing checklists needed to be addressed through a comprehensive framework.
The state government has prepared revised guidelines for registering new private schools, Sona said. Applications for renewal of existing institutions will also be considered under the new framework once it is implemented.
Sona said the objective was not merely to increase the number of educational institutions but to ensure that schools met prescribed standards and provided students with a safe and accountable learning environment.
On private universities, Sona said he had asked the concerned regulatory commission to conduct a confidential assessment of private universities operating in Arunachal Pradesh. The exercise would examine whether the institutions were functioning in accordance with the respective Acts under which they were established.
The government is also working on a common legislation, or “mother Act”, to bring private universities under a uniform regulatory framework, he said.
The measures are aimed at strengthening oversight of private educational institutions and establishing common standards for their registration, functioning and accountability.
