Private schools want RTE Act in phases

Updated on: Monday, May 07, 2012

The Andhra Pradesh Private Schools Association requested the State Government to implement in phases the Right to Education Act which stipulates allotment of 25 per cent of seats in the schools to children from poor families, since the private schools run on low budget are already facing difficulties after meeting the Government rule to get recognition three years ago.

This was stated by the association president K.S.N. Murthy who addressed media here on Friday along with vice-president V. Appa Rao, district president B. Mani Kumar Raju, general secretary B.V. Murali Manohar, organising secretary Y.V.V. Prasad and treasurer Ch.V.R. Murthy. The association also pointed out the provision in the Act to implement the rule over a period of three years but in AP, the Government wanted it to be done immediately.

The rule would benefit the poor students and enhance literacy rate but sink the private schools, it said.

The rule was brought in by the State Government taking into consideration the corporate schools which form only 10 per cent of total schools and if the rule was met the ordinary budget schools would not survive, they said.

On the problems expected to be faced on the implementation of the RTE Act provision, the association said that though the State Government should reimburse the expenditure on the 25 per cent of poor pupils or the fee they would have paid, there was a likelihood of other students too seeking the benefit.

RTE Act provides for free education but not uniforms, books and additional fee.

This would create an unnecessary division in the classroom.

If a pupil changed the school, he or she might not get the benefit in the new school if that school had filled the quota under this category. Also, the benefit was only up to eighth class and there was a likelihood of the pupils discontinuing education. This would also increase the dropout rate.

Another rule of Right to Education Act was that every school must have qualified teachers by the year 2015.

This would not be possible since the requirement was six lakh while the existing education college could turn out only 50,000 qualified persons during the next three years.

The RTE Act not to be implemented in the case of minorities' institutions and residential schools would lead to misuse of the Act.

The association wanted the State Government to give a thought to the implementation of the Right to Education Act and avoid problems to the private unaided schools which were playing a major role in providing education to the poor and lower middle class sections collecting fee affordable to these sections.

Nearly one crore pupils were studying in these schools and eight lakh teachers and staff were employed.

Private schools want RTE Act in phases

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