RTE privileges for the poor students

29 June 2012

State asks schools to reserve 25 % seats for underprivileged
biswabrata goswami
TAMLUK, 29 JUNE: To implement Right to Education (RTE) Act at every school from this academic session, the state government has asked every government, public and private schools to reserve 25% seats at entry level for the students from underprivileged families and economically weaker sections of society.
The decision for the implementation of RTE Act from the academic session 2012-2013, was taken decided in a meeting of the state education project committee under Sarbasiksha Mission.
In East Midnapore, meetings were held at Contai Town Hall and Nimtouri Smriti Soudha two days ago where the district administration called for a 25% reservation in private schools for children from humble backgrounds. The school authorities have also been asked to submit the list of the BPL students admitted in the schools within a set deadline from the commencement of new academic season.
“The government and private schools should cooperate with the administration to implement the RTE Act in the district so that we can become a model district, and set an example for other districts,” Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of zilla-parishad said. The recent judgement of the Supreme Court in favour of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the composition of students in classes in private schools and the economic matters of private educational institutions will see dramatic changes.
Authorities of many schools were not happy with the ruling but to accept it.
According to the RTE, all government and private schools have to admit 25% students from socially and economically backward families from this academic year (2012-13). These students will be guaranteed free education from Class I till they reach the age of 14. However, Madrasas and institutions of Vedic learning will be kept outside the ambit of the Act as the HRD ministry had declared these institutions were mainly institutes of religious instruction rather than educational institutions
Mr Hossain said, there are 274 schools in Contai sub-division while the numbers of schools in Egra, Tamluk and Haldia subdivisions are 174, 260 and 174 respectively. All schools have been asked to follow the RTE instructions from this year and make registration of the school with the Sarbasiksha Mission, Mr Hossain said.
To get government funds in lieu of getting financially backward students admitted, the private schools need to inform the state government through the district education office about the strength of BPL students admitted in 2012-13 academic year.
“On receiving the documents, we will evaluate them and send it to the state education department so that the funds are released to schools within a timeframe,” said a senior education department officer.
After a prolonged exercise, the private English schools agreed to implement the RTE guidelines under pressure from the district education department. But still a few schools have failed to induct poor children citing one excuse or other, said Mr Ranjan Maity, a resident of Tamluk.