To implement the State Government’s order on readmission fees and caution money and ensure that schools follow the provisions laid down in universal Right to Education (RTE) act, the education department of Dehradun has deployed a team of senior officers.
Informing about the plan of the department, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Dehradun, Mukul Kumar Sati told The Pioneer that the department has adopted a proactive approach to implement the Government Order (GO) on readmission fees and caution money and to make sure that the provisions of the RTE are implemented. He said that a ten member team consisting of district education officers (DEO), Block Education Officers (BEO) and senior Principals of Government Inter Colleges is constituted. “We have assigned five to six private schools to each officer. They have started visiting the schools. These officers would address the complaints of parents on the spot and ensure that the provisions of RTE are being implemented in these schools,’’ he said.
The CEO of Dehradun further informed that the need of constitution of the team was necessitated following lukewarm response of parents on the department’s plea that they should lodge written complaints in case they observe any anomaly. The education department had carried out advertisements informing the public about provisions of RTE and GO of State Government on readmission fees and caution money. Impressed by the model adopted by the education department of Dehradun the State Education Minister Arvind Pandey has said that this model would be implemented in all the districts of the State.
Immediately after assuming charge of education ministry Pandey had declared the private schools should not charge re-admission fees and caution money from the parents of the students. Following this the State administration had issued a Government order restricting the schools from charging the above mentioned fees. The parents however complained that in absence of proper monitoring and enforcing agency the orders of the Government are of little importance. The President of All Uttarakhand Parents Association (AUPA), Neeraj Singhal said that the state government should bring the private school regulatory authority bill in the state assembly. He said that the hegemony of the private school operators and their unjustified fees increase decisions can be checked only when the officers of administration and education department are given some powers. Mention-worthily the draft of the bill is ready and the previous Congress Government had decided it to bring it before the State assembly but under pressure from the lobby of private schools, the Government buckled following which the matter was put on back burner.