Maharashtra Government to Enforce Regulation on Private Preschools

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government is set to introduce legislation aimed at regulating private preschools in the state. This new law will mandate the registration of these institutions, ensuring they meet established quality standards, as stated by School Education Minister Dada Bhuse.

During a recent assembly session, Bhuse revealed that a circular issued on April 24, 2025, made it compulsory for private pre-primary educational institutions to register on the "Preschool Registration Portal." To date, 12,733 schools have successfully registered.

The initiative aims to provide safe and high-quality early childhood education for children aged three to six, while also offering parents consolidated information about available institutions at both state and district levels.

The portal requires schools to submit essential details, including location, management structure, number of classrooms, student enrollment, and information about infrastructure such as buildings, playgrounds, toilets, drinking water facilities, and CCTV. Additionally, details about teachers and staff are also required.

Bhuse further disclosed that the proposed law will focus on the regulation and quality assurance of private preschools. A competent authority will be appointed to oversee registration and regulation, with all institutions needing to renew their registration every three years through the online portal.

The government is also contemplating guidelines that include maintaining a student-teacher ratio of 20:1, implementing a child-centric curriculum, ensuring the availability of toys and learning materials, and fostering child-friendly infrastructure.

Notably, the proposed regulations will prohibit schools from conducting written or oral entrance tests for admissions at the pre-primary level, allowing only holistic assessments of a child's development.

Input for this proposal has been gathered from the Women and Child Development Department and is currently under legal review by the Law and Judiciary Department. The government aims to implement these regulations before the start of the next academic year.