Private schools in Odisha continue to flout RTE norms

JAGATSINGHPUR: The district administration has asked Block Education Officers (BEOs) to submit detailed reports on admissions in various private schools in the last five years.
The move comes in the wake of allegations that the private schools are ignoring the 25 per cent quota for poor students in entry-level classes under Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
Under the RTE Act, all private schools are supposed to reserve 25 per cent of entry-level school seats for students from economically weak and socially disadvantaged families. Besides free education, the students are also entitled to other benefits like free uniforms and textbooks under the Act.
However, sources said private schools in the district are blatantly flouting the guidelines. Of total 238 private schools, not a single institution has followed the 25 per cent criterion. As a result, thousands of children are deprived of the benefits under the Act in Paradip, Jagatsinghpur, Kujang, Raghunathpur and Tirtol.
Earlier, the School and Mass Education Department had made it mandatory to provide certificate of recognition (CR) to those schools which are following the 25 pc quota provision. But only seven schools had applied for the CR, of which only three have received the recognition. Similarly, 31 private schools are running illegally without having basic infrastructure and facilities.

Parent of a student belonging to SC community alleged that, “My children are studying in Class IV and VII in a private school at Paradip. During admission, I was forced to give Rs 2,000 per student towards admission fee. Similarly, monthly tuition fees are also collected.”
Locals said 13,790 students are reading in 25 private schools in Paradip only. Debendra Kumar Mallick, a member of District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee, demanded action against private schools that are not admitting underprivileged students as per the RTE Act.
Meanwhile, District Education Officer Prativa Manjari Das has served showcase notices to 31 schools for not applying for CR and urged the parents not to admit their children in such schools.
Action will be taken against the erring schools after getting reports from the BEOs, she said.