The State Government is reportedly going to take action against as many as 212 privately-run schools in the capital city for violating the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
Sources said these 212 schools have gone against the RTE Act norms for not allowing poor students for enrolment.
There are 256 private schools under the Bhubaneswar Block Education Office. As per the RTE Act, 25 per cent seats are reserved for poor students for free education in the schools.
A total of 16,006 students have been enrolled in these 256 schools for the 2016-17 academic year, out of which the number of poor students is only 307. Notably, the State Government bears all the study expenses for the poor students enrolled in the private schools.
Sources said the Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir (SSVM) at Dharma Vihar has topped the list in term of admission of poor students into it in the 2016-17 academic year. Totally, 187 students are enrolled in the school, out of which 18 are poor students.
While 16 poor students are enrolled in the Vivekananda School at laxmisagar BDA Colony, the number of poor students is 15 in the Unit-III Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir, 14 in the Unit-VI SSVM and 12 each in the Jayadev Vihar SSVM, the laxmisagar Sai Saraswati Vidya Mandir and the KIIT International School.
However, a lone poor student has been enrolled in the elite SAI International School. In fact, this school attracts more students from rich and affluent families and misses the RTE norms in enrolling poor students, said a senior officer in the Department of School & Mass Education. While the Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandirs have recorded the highest in terms of enrolment of poor students, the reputed schools offering education in English medium are reluctant to allow the poor students for free education.
Despite repeated warnings from the Government for collecting high tuition fees, school development fees and heavy donations, the English medium schools continue to ignore the Government law.