There is a provision of reservation of 25 per cent seats for Below Poverty line (BPl) students in government aided and non-aided schools under Right to Education (RTE) Act. But not even a single private school in city is in compliance with the Act’s provision.
Every school has only five to six students from the said category. The reason cited behind this by school principals is that the students from BPl families were not aware about this provision. Consequently most of them are not able to reap the benefit. St. Thomas School Principal Joseph J Ayrookuzhy said, “We have circulated the information among BPl families in our one kilometer (km) radius, as prescribed by the Government that every school should take admission of underprivileged students living within the radius of one km. The students who have come to us are welcomed in our school.”
“The main reason behind this is that BPl family children are unaware about RTE Act. Government has made the Act for the benefit of underprivileged children but is not taking appropriate measures in spreading awareness about this provision”, said Jawahar Vidya Mandir Principal AK Singh.
While the private schools are blaming the Government for lower number of BPl students making it to private schools alleging government of not being able to create awareness about the provisions the government officials chose to give no explanation instead asking media persons to find the reasons behind this.
Primary Education Director Mamta said, “It’s your duty to find the reason behind it.” However, to absolve herself and the department she put the ball again in the private schools’ court, “The reimbursement amount due to be paid to these schools for last session has been now sanctioned. Private schools should not feel insecure about getting the fund reimbursed. They should now take initiative for absorbing reserved seats completely.”
State Representative of National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Ganesh Reddy however put the blame squarely on both the parties- the private schools and the government departments. He said, “One of the biggest reasons behind enrolment of very few BPl students in the private schools is that the schools are not serious about it. It is mandatory in every private school to mention about this 25 per cent reservation facility in their forms, websites and brochures but none of the schools have mentioned about it anywhere. Besides schools, government is also responsible for it. Till date no advertisement or awareness steps are taken by the Government to inform BPl families about this Act and its provisions.”