The Allahabad high court on Tuesday directed the state government to furnish five-year, school-wise data on students benefiting from the Right to Education (RTE) Act, including details of children whose admissions were declined or who were not admitted by schools in Uttar Pradesh.
The court also sought details of complaints alleging the charging of capitation fees or adoption of screening procedures in violation of the state’s education policy, along with the action taken on such complaints.
A bench of Justice Vinod Diwakar passed the order while hearing a writ petition filed by St John’s School, Babhanauti, Pachwal, Bhadohi.
“It has been brought to the notice of this Court that certain private educational institutions recognised by the State Government, run and established within its territorial jurisdiction, are reluctant to admit children, and to forgo the fees and other charges ordinarily levied by them,” the court observed.
“In this connection, the correctness of the allegation is a matter upon which no opinion is expressed at this stage, and the affidavit called for hereinafter will enable the position to be ascertained,” the bench added.
The court directed the state government counsel to file an affidavit by September 15, the next date of hearing.
{{/usCountry}}The court directed the state government counsel to file an affidavit by September 15, the next date of hearing.
{{/usCountry}}“The schools affiliated to the CBSE, the CISCE and any other Board shall extend cooperation to the Basic Shiksha Adhikari and the district inspector of Schools concerned in furnishing the details called for hereinabove,” Justice Diwakar said.
The court clarified that the information was being sought to enable it to obtain a complete picture of the situation and that no opinion had been expressed on the conduct of any school. It further said no institution would be prejudiced on the basis of the information without notice and due process of law.
The court has also clarified that private schools in Uttar Pradesh affiliated with the CBSE or CISCE are not exempt from the provisions of the RTE Act, 2009, which guarantees the right to free and compulsory education to children aged 6 to 14 years under Article 21A of the Constitution.