Press Note Eng Dt: 03/05/2011 on Right to Education.

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Encl :– GR

 

Press Note                                                                                         03^rd May, 2011

 

• Despite clear rules, Gujarat government is giving liberty to schools to extort money from parents.
• Right To Education is very clear that a student should be admitted through a transparent system without taking any donation or interview.
• Gujarat government issued a circular on March 7, 2011 that allows schools have their own way.
• Many states in the country have accepted model rules and thus helped millions of students get the best of education facilities.
• Gujarat government has not accepted model rules for the last two years and thus students of Gujarat are deprived of benefits.

 

    Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 brought by government of India categorically states that no school can take any donation or capitation fee or interview while giving admission to a student. Despite this clear provision Gujarat government has introduced rules for admission which allow school managements to mint money while giving admission to students. Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, Shaktisinh Gohil, pointed out that as per GR of the HRD Ministry of Government of India schools will have to give admission through a transparent system of draw after receiving applications from students. The GR issued on November 23, 2010 is very clear that no donation or any kind of interview can be taken.However, the GR issued by Gujarat government on March 7, 2011 says that schools can give admission on first come first get basis or they can go for the draw system. Since the information of date of receipt of application is in the control of the school it can be manipulated for all kind of gains, Gohil pointed out.

     Gohil quoted Rule 13 of the RTE which says that

        No school or person shall, while admitting a child, collect any capitation fee and subject the child or his or her parents or guardian to any screening procedure.

        Screening method is further defined as the method of selection for admission of a child, in preference over another, other than a random method.

     Gohil demanded that the GR of Gujarat government which is violative of the RTE rules should be withdrawn immediately. Gohil said that many states have introduced the law in the last two years. However, Gujarat Chief Minister who claims himself to be number one administrator, has not introduced this student friendly law. This has caused a great loss to the students of Gujarat. Referring to the benefits of RTE, he said that through its student focused measures it can really improve standard of education.

   Listing some of these measures, he said

 

• It gives free education to all till standard 8.
• It makes compulsory for government to provide all basic facilities for education
• A student studying up to standard five gets admission in a school within one kilometer and school up to standard eight has to be within three kms.
• Every school will have a teacher for every 30 students and teachers will not be engaged in any other work except census and election work.
• Special schools for children of poor and child labourers will be closed down and all will get admission to schools with equal opportunity. These special schools have limited facilities.
• Government will have the make special arrangements for the education of children of migrant labourrers.
• The RTE also provides that government will have to make special arrangements for the education of drop outs, rag picker students and students indulging in begging.
• There is a provision of 25 per cent seats for students belonging to educationally backw3ard classes and have nots. They are to be provided equal opportunities of learning without any kind of fee.
• In private schools only draw system is allowed for admission. This is to check corrupt practices in admission.
• To ensure that children study up to standard 8, there is a provision of a steering committee for every school. This committee has to have 75 members representatives of parents of students.

 

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