MUMBAI, May 17 -- A group of 13 parents from Maharashtra's Wardha district have come together to challenge a recent policy of the state government which they say threatens the future of their children's education. The petition, filed before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court (HC) on Friday, urges the court to quash a government decision that limits teacher appointments in government schools with fewer than 20 students. At the heart of the issue is a government resolution (GR) dated March 15, 2024, which revised teacher appointment norms under a policy known as Sanch Manyata. This policy, now implemented across Maharashtra, links the number of teachers directly to student enrollment numbers, instead of the grades or classes being taught. The petition urges court to quash the GR, arguing that it violates the fundamental Right to Education guaranteed by the Constitution and Right the Education Act (RTE Act), 2009. According to data from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE), more than 18,000 schools in Maharashtra currently have fewer than 20 students. Under the Sanch Manyata rules, these schools are allocated just one teacher regardless of the number of grades or classes being taught. This directly contradicts existing standards under the RTE Act, 2009. As per the RTE Act, schools are required to have at least one teacher for Classes 1 to 5, and three subject-specific teachers for Classes 6 to 8, to cover science, mathematics, social science and languages. While previous GRs had respected these norms, the current policy doesn't. "Instead of hiring the required staff, the government has been assigning just one teacher to handle all classes. This severely affects the quality of education and often leads to school closures. Considering this, the parents have come together and filed a petition in court," said Vijay Kombe, president of the Maharashtra State Primary Teachers' Committee. The Sanch Manyata policy has drawn widespread criticism ever since it was published for the academic year 2024-25 on February 21. Teachers' unions, educators and local leaders have all opposed the move, but the government has remained unmoved. The impact has been especially severe in districts like Wardha, Ratnagiri and Satara. In Wardha alone, 131 of 321 government schools that have Classes 6 to 8 are at risk. Ratnagiri and Satara districts have even larger numbers, with 1,509 and 1,254 schools affected, respectively. One of the petitioners cited the example of a zilla parishad primary school in Kajalsara, Hingna taluka, in Wardha district. The school runs Classes from 1 to 8, with 30 students in Classes 1 to 5, and 17 students in Classes 6 to 8. Despite this, the new Sanch Manyata allotment sanctioned two teaching posts only, for Classes 1 to 5, and zero posts for Classes 6 to 8. "This means there will be no subject teachers for middle school students," the petitioner said. The same situation is no different in zilla parishad school Arambha and Cluster School Nimbha in Samudrapur taluka, Wardha. In several schools where the petitioners' children are enrolled, the GR has sanctioned no teachers at all. Sumedh Moreshwar Butale, a welding worker and one of the petitioners, said, "As per the provisions of the RTE Act and the notifications under it, three subject teachers are required for Classes 6 to 8. With the new Sanch Manyata, the government is depriving poor families of their children's right to education." While the state government has claimed in court that there are no formal plans to shut or merge low-enrollment schools, education experts say the policy effectively achieves the same result by rendering schools non-functional. "Instead of directly closing small schools, the government is taking an indirect route by denying teacher appointments," said a teacher working in a rural school that has only 18 students. Political voices have also joined the chorus of concern. In early March, J M Abhyankar, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) representing the Mumbai Teachers' Constituency, wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressing strong opposition to the policy. "If the New Education Policy (NEP) is to be implemented effectively, it is necessary to increase the number of teachers. However, instead of maintaining schools, the government is moving towards their closure. This decision will push thousands of students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds into darkness," he wrote. Parents have also raised the issue of non-teaching duties burdening the already limited staff in these schools. Nitesh Shende, a farmer and another petitioner, said, "There is a lot of non-educational work already impacting student learning. With this new Sanch Manyata, how can the government ensure quality education with fewer teachers?" An official from the education department said teachers would be appointed according to the new rules. "If no teacher is assigned as per the guidelines, we will shift students to nearby schools," the officer added....