District administration initiates proper implementation of RTE act in Cuttack

Updated on: Saturday, April 20, 2013

The district administration has taken initiative to ensure proper implementation of the rule reserving 25% seats in private schools for children belonging to economically-backward sections under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

The administration had conducted a survey in the district and prepared database of the children, who are eligible to get benefit under the rule. Till now 8,200 such children have been identified in the district and private schools in respective areas have been given a list of the eligible students so that the students will not face problems while getting admission, official sources said.

District project coordinator of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Bijay Rath, said, "There are around 84 private schools in the district, including Odia and English medium, and we have provided them a list of eligible children under the catchment area. Till now, 500 children have been admitted to different private schools and we are monitoring the situation very closely."

Collector (Cuttack) Girish S N, said, "The state government has decided to implement the RTE Act from this year and accordingly we have taken measures to ensure that the rule is implemented in letter and spirit. We have issued direction to private schools that if any irregularities or violation are found, then appropriate action will be taken against them. However, till now we have not received any complaint against any private school." He further added that the database was prepared with an aim to ensure that the private schools cannot deny admission to eligible students citing that they don't belong to their catchment areas.

The district officials are also convincing poor parents to admit their children in private schools. "Many poor parents are not willing to get their children admitted to private schools as they feel that their wards will be deprived of government benefits like midday meal, free textbooks and free school uniforms. But we are convincing them that they will get similar benefits in private school too," said a district official. However, the private schools are not happy over the rule. "The state government is yet to decide how much fees of the poor students, admitted against the 25% quota, will be reimbursed and how it will be done. In such circumstances, it is quite difficult to implement the rule," said principal of a school on condition of anonymity.

District administration initiates proper implementation of RTE act in Cuttack

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