Gujarat Bill seeking to bring private aided schools under scope of Education Act passed

The state Assembly on Thursday passed the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by a majority vote. The Bill proposes to bring government-aided private secondary and higher secondary schools within the scope of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Act, 1972, as per an official statement.

It also proposes to enhance the amount of fine for imparting secondary and higher secondary education through a school without registration. The release stated that with the new proposed provisions in the Act, special educators will be recruited for specially abled students.

It added that the qualification of principals, teachers, special educators and non-teaching staff and rules for their selection at government aided secondary and higher secondary schools will be decided by the state government.

In the case of non-granted schools, the government will only decide the qualification of principal, teachers, special educators and non-teaching staff. Now the total implementation of the reservation policy of the state government in recruitment of staff will be ensured.

For serious negligence and violation of rules, the Bill has proposed enhanced punishments for school administrators. For illegal appointment of a teacher or principal in a government aided school, the administrator will be penalised up to Rs 10 lakh.

Currently, the fine for the same is Rs 1,000. For running a school without registration, the punishment will be imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to Rs 15 lakh. The Bill has also proposed to increase the fine amount for discontinuation of school without giving the board a prior notice of six months.

Currently, the fine amount for the same is Rs 1,000. The Bill proposes that if a school administrator discontinues the school without intimating the board, he will then be fined Rs 20 lakh.