Based on visits by its correspondents to schools in six states of the country, Business Standard brings you a six-part series on how ready or otherwise the system is to implement the new legal guarantee of free and compulsory schooling for all in the 6-14 age group
The timing of the notification of the Right to Education (RTE) Act so close to the beginning of an academic year has ensured that state governments are left with little time to create a mechanism to enforce the Act's provisions for poor students. In Gujarat, for instance, private schools are feeling gifted! They have enough time — almost a year — to ignore the provisions of the law.
Udgam School, one of the posh institutions in Ahmedabad, is eager to follow the Right To Education Act, but says it is awaiting guidelines on how the poor will be identified for the free seats.
Manan Choksi, executive director of Udgam School, says, “We are awaiting clarity on this issue. We are yet to understand what other schools are doing and we will do whatever is most practical and effective. We have a scholarship programme and we have at least five per cent people who could be termed as eligible for scholarship every year. As CBSE rules do not permit us to add any capacity by way of increasing the number of children, we will have to give existing seats to the poor students. I hope the rules in RTE Act would give guidelines to identify the poor.”
As for reimbursing the school, Choksi says the government should either pay half the school's existing fees or let it raise the fees for the remaining students. “I would expect the government to give at least 50 per cent of my existing fees so that I am not at a huge loss. If the government does not reimburse me that amount, it has to find a method as to how we can afford the hefty Sixth Pay Commission guidelines. In case the government is not in a position to reimburse my costs, it should allow me to increase the fees for the remaining 75 per cent of the students.
The school would also like to make its implementation of the Act transparent. "I would love to put on our website and notice board all the details of the 25 per cent seats allotted. This way, the media and parents can ensure the people who got the seats are actually poor!"
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Mahendra Kanaiyalal Secondary & Higher Secondary School, managed by Gujarat Law Society, too, is awaiting to hear from the government. “We are awaiting an intimation by the state government on how we are supposed to implement the RTE Act. We have not received any circulars and are in a dilemma. For now, we have decided to follow the same policy as last year, without allotting the 25 per cent seats to the poor until the government communicates it to us in the form of a notice or circular,” says Dhiraj Jogani, principal, MK School.
District Education Officer (DEO) K K Rathod says, “The Gujarat government is yet to issue a circular to the education department. We are awaiting communication to move ahead.”
Apparently the trustees of various schools in Ahmedabad are scheduled to meet the DEO on April 29 to discuss the implementation of the RTE Act.
An official at a private English/Hindi medium school, who did not want to be named, says, “The entire chapter seems confusing. We have learnt that the government officials are yet to meet and decide on implementing the Act. Around this time, we prepare our time-table and line up things for the academic year. Due to non-communication of implementation of the Act, we are unable to plan for the coming year. Also, we cannot close the admissions as we have to fill seats according to the RTE Act. We have decided to take up these issues with the DEO and insist on quick implementation of the scheme in the state. We are already running late for our June academic session.”