Assam government directs all private unaided non-minority schools to ensure 25% reservation to the disadvantaged

Updated on: Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Assam government directed all private unaided non-minority schools to ensure that students from disadvantaged and weaker sections are provided 25 per cent reservation during allocation of seats and also free education.

A notification to this affect was issued under the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and the Assam Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, an official statement said.

"All private unaided non-minority schools and schools of specified category....shall admit in Class-I, at least 25 per cent of the strength of the class, children belonging to disadvantaged group and weaker sections in the neighbourhood and provide free and compulsory education till its completion," it said.

The notification will come into effect from the 2013-14 academic session.

It added, "Further, it was notified that those private unaided schools/ specified category schools where pre-school education is imparted, must also admit children from these sections to the extent of at least 25 per cent of thestrength of the pre-school class".

The state government will reimburse the expenditure incurred by the schools for providing free and compulsory education to the children admitted under these provisions.

The notification further stated that children admitted under these provisions "shall not be discriminated from the rest of the children in any manner pertaining to entitlements and facilities and shall not be segregated from the other children in the classroom nor shall their classes be held at places and timing different from the classes held for the other children, nor shall an exclusive section be opened for them."

As per the notification, the schools have to randomly select the students out of application received so as to keep the admission procedure "non-discriminating, rational and transparent".

"No screening test or interview of child or parent or profiling of the child based on parental educational qualification shall be done," it said.

The state government will also form a committee comprising senior officials to assess the expenditure per child incurred by the state and the local authority for reimbursement to the schools.

Meanwhile, in another notification the state government directed all aided or privately managed un-aided schools in Assam imparting education upto elementary stage to obtain recognition from the concerned District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO).

"All such schools shall apply for recognition within June 30, 2013, failing which the school concerned will cease to function... The DEEO shall conduct inspection of such schools to ascertain whether they fulfil the norms and standards specified in the rules and submit the report to a District Level Board," it said.

It added: "This District Level Board will be the authority to recognise a school, and the DEEO will maintain all records of recognition of a school. Schools fulfilling the norms, standards and conditions will be given a Certificate of Recognition by this Board."

Assam government directs all private unaided non-minority schools to ensure 25% reservation to the disadvantaged

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