COURTKUTCHEHRY SPECIAL ON TRENDS OF “DUMMY SCHOOL”
Delhi High Court Cracks Down on Dummy Schools Exploiting Loopholes with Coaching Centre Tie-Ups
Court penalises Richmondd Global School for fake admissions and misuse of CBSE affiliation
Parents warned against schools offering shortcuts to board exams through coaching centre tie-ups
By Our Legal Reporter
New Delhi: December 26, 2025:
In a landmark ruling, the Delhi High Court has barred a so-called “dummy school” from running higher secondary classes and initiated contempt proceedings against its management. The case involved Richmondd Global School, which allegedly enrolled hundreds of students in Classes XI and XII only on paper, while they attended coaching centres instead of regular school.
Justice Jyoti Singh ordered the school to deposit ₹75 lakh with the court registry, representing the money collected from students who never attended classes. The court’s action highlights how some schools exploit loopholes in education laws to earn money through dubious tie-ups with coaching centres.
How Dummy Schools Exploit Loopholes
Dummy schools operate by misusing CBSE affiliation and exploiting gaps in monitoring systems. Their methods include:
- Paper Admissions Only: Students are formally enrolled in the school but never attend classes.
- Tie-Ups with Coaching Centres: Students spend their time at coaching institutes preparing for competitive exams like NEET and JEE, while the school provides cover for board exam eligibility.
- Quota Exploitation: By remaining enrolled in Delhi schools, students become eligible for Delhi-based college quotas, especially in engineering and medical institutions.
- Fee Collection Without Services: Schools charge full tuition fees despite not providing classroom teaching, infrastructure, or extracurricular activities.
- Misuse of CBSE Rules: CBSE mandates minimum attendance and classroom learning, but dummy schools bypass these requirements by falsifying records.
This system allows schools to profit while students technically remain eligible for board exams and quotas, undermining the integrity of education.
Why the Crackdown Was Necessary
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The Delhi High Court’s crackdown was essential for several reasons:
- Protecting Students’ Rights
- Students were deprived of holistic education, including classroom learning, peer interaction, and extracurricular development.
- Reliance solely on coaching centres narrowed their learning experience.
- Maintaining Integrity of CBSE System
- Dummy schools undermined CBSE’s credibility by allowing fake admissions.
- Board exams require genuine school attendance, which was being bypassed.
- Preventing Fraudulent Practices
- Schools earned money without providing services.
- Parents and students were misled into believing this was a legitimate path.
- Ensuring Fairness in College Admissions
- Exploiting Delhi quotas through dummy enrolments disadvantaged genuine students.
- Crackdown ensures fairness in competitive admissions.
- Deterring Widespread Abuse
- Reports suggest over 300 dummy schools operate in Delhi.
- Strict action sets a precedent to curb this widespread malpractice.
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What Parents Should Be Aware Of
Parents play a crucial role in preventing exploitation. They must be cautious of:
- Schools Promising Shortcuts: Any school offering to “free up time” for coaching by skipping classes is likely a dummy school.
- Lack of Infrastructure: Genuine schools provide classrooms, labs, and extracurricular activities. Dummy schools often lack these facilities.
- Attendance Loopholes: CBSE requires minimum attendance. Parents should verify if schools are enforcing this.
- Hidden Tie-Ups: Coaching centres may lure parents with promises of board exam eligibility through dummy enrolments.
- Legal Risks: Enrolling in dummy schools can backfire if CBSE cancels affiliation or exams are invalidated.
Parents should demand transparency, check CBSE affiliation status, and ensure their children receive proper schooling alongside coaching.
Wider Context
The issue of dummy schools is not new. In January 2025, the Delhi High Court ordered a crackdown on over 300 dummy schools operating with fake admissions. The court noted that such practices were fraudulent and harmful to students.
Education experts argue that the rise of dummy schools reflects the coaching culture in India, where competitive exams overshadow school education. However, courts and regulators are now pushing back to restore balance.
Expert Opinions
- Legal Experts: Say the crackdown was necessary to uphold the rule of law and protect students.
- Educationists: Warn that dummy schools distort the purpose of schooling, reducing it to a mere formality.
- Parents’ Associations: Welcome the ruling, urging stricter monitoring of CBSE-affiliated schools.
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Conclusion
The Delhi High Court’s crackdown on dummy schools marks a turning point in India’s education system. By penalising Richmondd Global School and initiating contempt proceedings, the court has sent a strong message: education cannot be reduced to a paper formality for profit.
Parents must remain vigilant, ensuring their children receive genuine schooling and not fall prey to dubious shortcuts. As India grapples with balancing competitive exam preparation and holistic education, this ruling reinforces the importance of integrity, fairness, and transparency in schools.
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