Maharashtra government to scrutinise school names citing international, global, & CBSE

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In reviewing future proposals for school recognition, the circular emphasised that authorities must carefully assess the institution’s name, its board affiliation, medium of instruction, and whether it operates other schools nationally or internationally. If a school’s name is deemed misleading, it will be required to change it before the proposal is forwarded to the state authority.

The department noted that 11 newly proposed schools across Maharashtra have used the term “international” in their names. Field officers have been instructed to verify these cases before submitting revised proposals, as such terminology could potentially mislead the government, society, parents, and students.

This issue was raised during a meeting on December 10, when a state-level authority was examining proposals for the approval and upgradation of new self-financed schools.

Authorities concluded that the use of misleading terminology in school names could negatively affect parents and students, and therefore, such institutions should be directed to change their names.

The circular noted that some schools approved as Marathi-medium were branding themselves as English-medium. It further clarified that terms like ‘global’ or ‘international’ should only be used if a school operates branches abroad and is affiliated with a recognised international board.

Additionally, the use of ‘CBSE’ in school names was deemed legally inappropriate, as it refers specifically to the Central Government’s examination board.