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.
In the absence of proper guidelines, prominent private schools in Madhya Pradesh that have catered to the wards of rich and famous are in a dilemma over admission of students from disadvantaged families under the Right to Education Act.
While some are eager to take it as a challenge, others are awaiting a Supreme Court ruling in this regard. Most private schools in Bhopal closed their admissions before April this year, thus, shutting their doors to the deprived and are awaiting guidance from the state government on quota for poor children under the new law. The message that has gone out from the education department is that schools can take another year before they comply with the law that asks them to give 25 per cent free seats to poor children, besides setting up school management committees comprising representatives from local bodies and parents' organisations.
One of the most prestigious schools in the state, Daly College Indore, is grappling with questions that is staring at many schools here: "There are three questions which are yet to be answered; who can apply? Whom to apply and who will make the selection? If you go through the Act, the principal is not allowed to meet the students nor the parents. Further, it (the Act) does not define who can apply; a socially backward student, economically backward or administratively backward, but we are ready to implement the Act and we have left 25 per cent of the elementary class reserved for students of disadvantaged section," Sumer Singh, principal of Daly College Indore, told Business Standard.
The situation has become confusing, especially because the state government has not framed any guidelines for admissions and has not set up any monitoring mechanism either. But it is quite categorical that non-compliance can lead to derecognition of schools.
"We are framing rules as per central government guidelines; we have also sought some more suggestions and guidelines pertaining to the Act. Once the rules are notified, the schools have to implement them and comply with the guidelines or face derecognition. At present they have to admit students in the elementary classes," said Snehlata Shrivastava, principal secretary, Department of School Education. Although prestigious schools are proactively working on implementing the mandate of the RTE Act as a social responsibility, a few do not buy the ambiguous rules. Hence, many prominent schools are working out a plan to raise fee and pass the burden on to non-quota students.
The biggest challenge for schools is the financial strain it would cause them as the 25 per cent reservation percolates to all the higher classes in 10 years. "Our budget is likely to go up by at least three per cent, once we enrol the poor students, though we are eager to admit them from next session as admissions in our schools have closed for this year," said Amlan K Saha, principal of Sanskar Valley School, Bhopal. He added: "We are likely to raise our fees."
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In some cases the fees are likely to go up by 30 per cent.
At a programme organised here recently, School Education Minister Archna Chitnis gave the green signal to private schools to implement the provisions of the Act from the next session and also to hike fees.
However, not everyone buys the idea of closing admissions and admitting poor students from the next session.
"We welcome the idea of imparting education to students of weaker sections of the society. However, there are challenges as ours is a residential school. We need to involve not only the administrative machinery, local people but also our students and teachers so that students from the low income strata are able to adjust. We are proactively working on the matter as to how fast we can implement it," Samik Ghosh, principal of Scindia School, Gwalior, said.
The schools feel mere admission of poor students would not ensure equal education for all. The private schools say the challenge of mentally preparing the students of higher income group families to treat students from poor families on an equal footing is great. Many elite schools are equipped with counsellors, teachers and other facilities as they already have a fair number of poor students. "Our existing students and teaching staff understand the place of education as a leveller and, hence, there is no discrimination. Barring records, we do not mention anywhere about the caste, income or his social status," said Ghosh.
Many aided schools like Shri Digambar Jain Higher Secondary School in Bhopal, which cater to poor students are unfazed by the new law. It charges a fee of Rs 50. "The state government slashed our aid from 2005 and we have challenged it in court. As far as admission to students of poor economic background is concerned, we have a fair number of them already. We are ready to welcome more of them," said D D Upadhya, the headmaster.