Pune dist leads state with highest junior KG registrations

PUNE: In a bid to regulate and improve early childhood education in Maharashtra, the department of education has launched a state-wise registration drive for all private pre-primary institutions catering to children in the age group of three to six years. These include schools operating under names such as pre-school, nursery, junior KG, and senior KG. Until now, only government-run anganwadis and balwadis were officially documented by the Women and Child Development department, while private pre-schools remained untracked.

Recognizing the lack of official data and increasing demand for transparency, the education department began the registration process 15 days ago. According to the department’s latest report, 11,173 private pre-primary centres have registered across the state. Pune district has recorded the highest number of registrations, with 1,850 schools coming forward, followed by Thane (1,134), Ahilyanagar (660), Nagpur (626), and other districts.

The main aim of this registration drive is to gather comprehensive information about these private centres, including infrastructure, student strength, management details, and availability of teaching and non-teaching staff. This will enable the department to assess whether such institutions are offering safe, inclusive, and quality learning environments to children. Moreover, it will provide parents with access to verified information while choosing schools for their children.

The education department clarified that this initiative is not just for record-keeping but also for ensuring accountability in the pre-primary education sector. A department official stated, “This is a crucial step to bridge the data gap. Parents often don’t know the credentials of the schools where they send their toddlers. Through this registration, we want to make information about infrastructure, management, number of students, and staff publicly accessible.”

To support this process and help institutions overcome any technical or procedural challenges, district-level committees will be formed. These committees will also address doubts and ensure smooth implementation of the initiative. In addition, a state-level help centre has been established, and schools can contact designated officers if they require assistance.

A senior education official on condition of anonymity said, “We plan to compile this data into a publicly accessible directory that will empower parents and also help monitor the standards of early childhood education in Maharashtra. This marks a significant step toward structured and regulated pre-primary education in the state,” said a senior education official on condition of anonymity.

Centre count

The top districts by number of registered private pre-primary centres: Pune (1,850), Thane (1,134), Ahilyanagar (660), Nagpur (626), Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (616), Kolhapur (405), Nashik (486), Nanded (347), Solapur (347), Latur (331), Jalgaon (311), and Raigad (311). In all the remaining districts, fewer than 300 schools have registered so far.