‘International’ tag turns into education racket in Nagpur
Nagpur: In a major crackdown on misleading school branding, the education authorities have directed several private schools in Nagpur to remove the words “International” and “Global” from their names, warning that the practice is misleading parents and exploiting their aspirations for English-medium education.
Officials from the Nagpur Zilla Parishad said that nearly 20 schools in the city affiliated with State or national education boards have been found using terms like “International” and “Global” in their names despite not being affiliated with any international education boards.
Schools accused of misleading parents
Education department officials say the trend has grown rapidly as parents increasingly prefer English-medium institutions, and schools exploit this perception by branding themselves with prestigious-sounding labels.
According to the department’s inspection findings, the use of these terms is deliberately intended to attract parents and justify higher fees, even though the institutions follow the regular syllabus prescribed by State or national boards.
“Many schools are using these words to create an impression that they offer international-level education. In reality, they are teaching the standard State or national board curriculum while charging hefty fees. This amounts to directly misleading and financially exploiting parents,” officials said.
Authorities clarified that only schools affiliated with recognised international education boards are permitted to use words like “International” or “Global” in their official names. Institutions affiliated with conventional boards do not have the legal authority to use such terminology.
Orders issued to remove misleading words
The education department has now directed all such schools to submit proposals to remove these terms from their names before the next academic session. Letters have already been sent to local education officers instructing them to notify the concerned schools and ensure compliance.
Officials confirmed that eight proposals for name changes have already been received, while other schools have been asked to submit their proposals soon.
Deputy Director holds authority to approve name changes
Under existing rules, the authority to approve school name changes lies with the office of the Deputy Director of Education. Schools must submit proposals through the district education office, which are then forwarded to the Deputy Director for final approval and official stamping.
Once approved, the institutions will be mandatorily required to operate under the revised names from the upcoming academic session.
Warning of action against non-compliant schools
Education officials have warned that schools failing to comply with the directive could face further action as per government guidelines.
“Schools affiliated with State or national boards that are using the words ‘International’ or ‘Global’ have been instructed to submit proposals for name changes. Once approved by the Deputy Director, they must adopt the new names from the next academic session,” said Nikhil Bhuyar, Primary Education Officer of the Nagpur Zilla Parishad.
The move is expected to bring greater transparency in school branding and protect parents from being misled by institutions using prestigious-sounding labels without offering internationally affiliated education.
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