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Private schools slam Haryana govt for shutting MIS portal
The controversy pertains primarily to admission of children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups as under the RTE Act 25% reservation is mandatory for EWS children in private unaided schools.
The federation of private schools in Haryana on Wednesday accused the state government of “locking poor children out of education” by shutting down the Management Information System (MIS) portal, which has stalled student admissions, especially under the Right to Education (RTE) Act across more than 2,808 schools.
The controversy pertains primarily to admission of children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups as under the RTE Act 25% reservation is mandatory for EWS children in private unaided schools. The state reimburses private schools for these seats, aiming to promote social inclusion.
Addressing a press conference, federation president Kulbhushan Sharma, who also heads the national independent schools alliance (NISA), said the government’s move to keep the MIS portal shut is “unconstitutional” and has made Haryana the first state in the country to halt school admissions through such an action.
“Closing the MIS portal is like putting a lock on the education of students. The directorate of education operates this portal which is like a digital admission and school leaving register,” said Sharma.
He said even as the session began on April 1, the government introduced an online system in June to display available school seats. He said no training was given to school operators nor any facility provided to rectify document errors. Instead, he claimed, schools are being blamed for incomplete or incorrect information. “This exposes the incompetence of the education department,” Sharma said, adding that now the government was imposing heavy penalties on schools, ranging from ₹30,000 to ₹70,000 for document-related issues.
He likened these fines to a “jaziya tax” on the “temples of education.” Sharma criticised the government for the “contradiction” between its admission drives to attract children to schools and its own action of blocking admissions through the MIS portal. “This move violates the spirit of the RTE Act and deprives children of their fundamental right to education,” he said.
Clarifying that private schools are not opposed to admitting children from economically weaker sections, Sharma said that if the government ensures a transparent and time-bound reimbursement policy, private schools are willing to admit 25% students from disadvantaged backgrounds in every class. “We are ready to submit an affidavit for this,” he said, urging the government to similarly commit to clearing dues within six months.
