Concerned over students’ poor reading skills, Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) Commissioner Manisha Awhale has issued a show cause notice to one teacher and warnings to all teachers of three municipal schools, cautioning that strict action will follow if the quality of education does not improve in the coming months.

The notices were issued after Awhale conducted a surprise inspection at municipal school numbers 8, 23, and 29 on Thursday, as part of efforts to advance the corporation’s model schools initiative.

During the visit, she assessed school infrastructure, students’ academic progress, and administrative efficiency, officials said.

The inspection team, which included Assistant Commissioner Mayuri Kadam, Administrative Officer Kunda Pandit, Construction Engineer Deepak Dhole, and Electrical Engineer Hanumant Kharat, identified several issues such as a long-standing unauthorized stall near school number 8 was found obstructing the learning environment.

Following Awhale’s directions, the stall was razed by Thursday evening. Pending construction and repair work at all three schools prompted the commissioner to instruct engineers to complete the work urgently and provide necessary facilities for students.

During the inspection, Awhale made it clear that there will be no compromise on the quality of education in municipal schools.

“Students deserve high-quality education, and it is the responsibility of both teachers and the administration to ensure this. Teachers failing to improve learning standards will face strict consequences. Additionally, unauthorized structures and obstacles on school premises will not be tolerated,” she said.

She also announced that further surprise inspections will be conducted to ensure improvements in school infrastructure and educational standards.

Ulhasnagar residents welcomed the surprise checks, expressing hope that they would lead to better educational facilities and higher academic standards for students in municipal schools.