14 years since RTE, EWS admissions at Chandigarh’s private schools still off track
For the 2023-24 session, the Chandigarh education department had started a centralised draw of lots system for the 69 private schools of the city in which 885 seats were allotted; however, eight minority and two non-minority schools did not participate in the same
Even 14 years after The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act was first adopted in 2009, problems persist over admissions of economically weaker sections (EWS) and students from other disadvantaged groups in some of the city’s private schools.
The department had started a centralised draw of lots system for the 69 private schools of the city in which 885 seats were allotted. However, eight minority and two non-minority schools did not participate in the same. The department is currently mulling action against the schools after show cause notices were issued.
As per the UT education department, minority schools have to comply under the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act 1952 under which 15% seats have to be reserved for EWS students while non minority schools have to comply under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 under which 25% seats have to be reserved for EWS students.
Speaking about why there is a problem in implementing the act, former UT education secretary BL Sharma said the problem stems from private schools which don’t want to take responsibility for the EWS students, noting, “Except for a few minority schools, which have been declared as minority institutions as per law, other schools can’t escape the statutory duty cast upon then to allow admission to EWS students under the RTE Act.”
“Some schools are wrongly claiming minority status to escape their obligations under RTE Act and are driven by commercial motives. It must be checked how many students of the minority community the minority schools are enrolling as only a few convent schools of the city meet this criteria,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“Some schools are wrongly claiming minority status to escape their obligations under RTE Act and are driven by commercial motives. It must be checked how many students of the minority community the minority schools are enrolling as only a few convent schools of the city meet this criteria,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Sharma added that from the department’s end, the process to make reimbursement for the EWS students must be expedited.
{{/usCountry}}Sharma added that from the department’s end, the process to make reimbursement for the EWS students must be expedited.
{{/usCountry}}“The department waits for the end of the academic year before the payments start getting processed. The process to release these payments must be streamlined while private schools must also maintain proper record and not try to manipulate the same.”
{{/usCountry}}“The department waits for the end of the academic year before the payments start getting processed. The process to release these payments must be streamlined while private schools must also maintain proper record and not try to manipulate the same.”
{{/usCountry}}The matter is also pending in court and the Independent Schools Association (ISA) is involved in multiple cases against the education department over the Same in the Punjab and Haryana high court and Supreme Court. No final decision has been reached in the matter yet.
{{/usCountry}}The matter is also pending in court and the Independent Schools Association (ISA) is involved in multiple cases against the education department over the Same in the Punjab and Haryana high court and Supreme Court. No final decision has been reached in the matter yet.
{{/usCountry}}Vikrant Suri, principal of Tender Heart High School, Sector 33, has been writing letters to all officials up to the governor regarding the discrepancies in EWS admissions for around 10 years now but authorities are yet to act on it.
“It is a massive fraud as the deserving candidates are excluded and people make forged documents despite not falling in the EWS category to avail this admission,” he said.
The school has submitted complaints against three candidates who had applied under EWS quota. Through the final electoral roll of 2023, it was found that the residents at the address listed in the application were other people.
“The school is checking these documents of the administration and picking out such cases. Schools must be given permission to verify the income group and residential status of the applicants by themselves. The department in fact threatens schools which point out discrepancies in the documents submitted by EWS applicants,” he said on being asked how the policy can be improved.”
The number of EWS seats filled by the department till now is also highest since the 2018-2019 academic session for which the data was available as the education department tries to get all private schools to participate in this.
There are 66 vacant seats left which the department aims to fill at a later date while 63 seats have also been declared disputed by the department.
