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Chandigarh: 9 private schools facing action for not participating in EWS draw of lots
Chandigarh director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said appropriate action will be taken against the schools, as they were given ample time to participate in the centralised draw of lots
The UT education department will pursue de-recognition proceedings against nine city schools that did not participate in Friday’s centralised draw of lots for students from the economically weaker section (EWS).
Eight unaided recognised minority schools, including Carmel Convent in Sector 9, New Public School in Sector 18, Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Sector 26, Saupin’s and St Anne’s Convent in Sector 32, Kids-R-Kids School in Sector 42, St Joseph’s Senior Secondary School and St Xavier’s Senior Secondary School in Sector 44, will be among those facing proceedings under the Right to Education (RTE) Act and Education Code.
The said schools are to comply with the Capital of Punjab (Development and Regulation) Act 1952 under which 15% seats have to be reserved for EWS students.
Another unaided recognised non-minority school, Vivek High in Sector 38, the department said, has to comply with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, under which 25% seats have to be reserved for EWS students.
UT director school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said appropriate action will be taken against the schools, as they were given ample time to participate in the centralised draw of lots.
Department officials said minority schools will get a personal hearing from the department to put forth their stance. A committee under the UT district education officer (DEO) will probe the matter for non-minority schools, following which the school will also get to present their case.
Addressing the issue, Saupin’s director-principal ABS Sidhu said, “Our allotment documents do not contain any reference to quota whatsoever. Ours is a minority school and if the RTE Act is not applicable to us, how can a ‘scheme’ that has actually no statutory status apply to us?”
Sidhu, who is also the vice-president of the Independent School Association (ISA), added that the association was currently in court in three separate cases over the issue.
ISA president and chairperson of Vivek High HS Mamik, meanwhile, said, “The administration is trying to implement the RTE Act that requires that the administration provide quarterly reimbursements when the child is admitted to a school. The track record of the department is to clear only 10% of the dues instead of 25%. The administration is deliberately trying to circumvent paying the reimbursement fully.”
“The RTE Act states that the pre-primary education will specifically be looked after by the local government. We have been trying to ask the department to issue a notification accepting this responsibility,” he added.
Mamik said the issue was sub-judice, adding that if infrastructure beyond the 112 existing government schools was needed, the guidelines on reimbursements for the EWS students must be followed.
67 schools participate in draw of lots
The centralised draw of lots for EWS students was held on Friday for the first time on a centralised platform. As many as 67 private schools participated in the draw and 865 seats were allocated.
Among them 774 seats are for children between the ages of three and four, 35 seats for those between four and five, 40 for those between five and six and 16 for those over the age of six. Results can be accessed at https://www.chdeducation.gov.in/?p=2991.
