Pune: The Maharashtra School Education Department has introduced key reforms in the state’s military school policies, notably raising annual tuition fees from INR 20,000 to INR 50,000 per student due to inflation.

The curriculum in these schools will now follow the CBSE board guidelines to enhance their alignment with competitive exams like the National Defence Academy (NDA) entrance test.

Private aided military schools, which have faced financial strain and declining performance, are a major focus of these reforms. Of the 38 aided military schools in Maharashtra, 12 have been allocated 30 acres of land each.

However, with a low number of students from these schools entering the NDA, the state government has proposed a performance-based funding model to address the issue.

A committee led by the Director of SCERT has been formed to implement these changes. All military schools will continue using English as the medium of instruction and follow a CBSE-aligned curriculum.

Class sizes in these schools are capped between 30 and 45 students, with a total student body of no more than 600 in each school.

The cost of essentials such as food, uniforms, books, and other supplies will be the responsibility of the respective institutions. However, to ensure adequate nutrition for students, the government will allocate INR 1 lakh per month per school for mess management, totaling INR 4.18 crores over 11 months.

Additionally, INR 2 crores will be allotted annually for teacher training programs. New teachers and non-teaching staff will be hired, with their salaries covered under this new budgetary provision.

Reforms have also been introduced in areas such as student admissions, entrance exams, teaching staff adjustments, school boards, public-private partnership (PPP) policies, curriculum development, and funding structures.