Section 19 of The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009
- (1)No school shall be established, or recognised, under section 18, unless it fulfils the norms and standards specified in the Schedule. (2) Where a school established before the commencement of this Act does not fulfil the norms and standards specified in the Schedule, it shall take steps to fulfil such norms and standards at its own expenses, within a period of three years from the date of such commencement. (3) Where a school fails to fulfil the norms and standards within the period specified under subsection (2), the authority prescribed under sub-section (1) of section 18 shall withdraw recognition granted to such school in the manner specified under sub-section (3) thereof. (4) With effect from the date of withdrawal of recognition under sub-section (3), no school shall continue to function. (5) Any person who continues to run a school after the recognition is withdrawn, shall be liable to fine which may extend to one lakh rupees and in case of continuing contraventions, to a fine of ten thousand rupees for each day during which such contravention continues.
Summary
- No school can be set up or recognised unless it meets the facility norms and teacher-student ratios listed in the Schedule.
- Schools that were already running before the Act started but did not meet the standards were given three years to fix everything at their own cost.
- If a school fails to meet these essential standards within the three year grace period, its recognition will be withdrawn.
- It is strictly illegal to keep running a school after its recognition is cancelled for failing to meet the norms.
- Continuing to run a derecognised school leads to an initial fine of up to one lakh rupees, and a daily fine of ten thousand rupees.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. What is the grace period for older schools to meet the safety and teacher norms under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, Section 19?
Under Section 19 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, schools established before the Act had to meet all the norms and standards at their own expense within three years from the start of the Act.
2. What happens if a school fails to meet the infrastructure standards after the grace period under Section 19 of the Right to Education Act, 2009?
Under Section 19 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, if a school fails to meet the standards, the authority will withdraw its recognition, and the school must stop functioning immediately.
3. What is the penalty for running a school after its recognition has been withdrawn under Section 19 of the children's education law of 2009?
Under Section 19 of the children's education law of 2009, running a school after derecognition attracts an initial fine of up to one lakh rupees, and an ongoing fine of ten thousand rupees for each day the violation continues.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 19 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, how long was the transition period given to pre-existing schools to meet the Schedule's norms?
Q2.Under Section 19 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, who must bear the expenses to bring an older school up to the required legal standards?
Q3.Under Section 18 and Section 19 of the 2009 Free and Compulsory Education Act, if a school's recognition is withdrawn due to non-compliance with norms, what is the legal status of that school?
Q4.Under Section 19 of the children's education law of 2009, which part of the Act contains the detailed list of physical norms and standards that every school must fulfil?