Maharashtra: Draft ECCE Act 2025 Proposes Tough Norms for Pre-Schools, Faces Criticism Over Language and Clarity

Pune, 24th August 2025: The Maharashtra government has prepared a draft of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Act, 2025, aimed at regulating private pre-schools across the state.

The proposed law suggests government-prescribed norms for fees and admissions, mandatory parent-teacher associations, and teacher qualifications in line with National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) guidelines. Running a pre-school without registration could attract a penalty of up to Rs 50,000.

A senior official from the education department confirmed the draft’s circulation within the department. “At present, it is being reviewed internally for suggestions from officials. Once that process is complete, the draft will move through the regular legislative procedure, including review by other stakeholder departments. It will then be released for objections and suggestions before being tabled in both houses of the legislature,” the official said.

Despite being in the early stage, the draft has already drawn criticism for its poor language and lack of a Marathi version. “If this document is meant only for internal circulation, why was a link shared for public feedback with a September 27 deadline? And why has it not been issued in Marathi?” questioned one educator.

The draft also assigns responsibilities to local authorities. The block education officer (primary) would be required to maintain records of all pre-primary schools within their jurisdiction. An online information system is also proposed to track enrolments and display details of registered pre-schools on a public portal.

Swati Popat Vats, president of the Early Childhood Association (ECA) India, pointed out ambiguities in definitions. “The draft says ‘for children below 6 years’—does that mean day-care centres will also be included? It also defines ‘teacher’ as a worker, instructor, helper, or any other person. This blurs the line between trained teachers and support staff, who have different qualifications,” she said.

Vats further highlighted the need to align rules with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “The NEP specifies 3 years as the age of entry to nursery, but in Maharashtra it is still 2.5 years. The draft needs to address this gap. Fee regulation must also be clarified. Removing unqualified staff suddenly could create shortages in rural areas, while infrastructure requirements may be too expensive for small schools. Additionally, a three-year registration certificate with frequent renewals could be cumbersome,” she added.