Pvt schools will be paid for EWS seats

NEWDELHI: The Delhi government will reimburse private unaided schools for providing free education to poor students admitted under the economically weaker section and disadvantaged groups (EWS/DG) even if their number is higher than 25% of the total intake.

All private unaided recognised schools, except for minority institutions, have to keep 25% of their total seats reserved for students under economically weaker section and disadvantaged groups (EWS/DG) categories under the RTE Act.

“…it is clarified that admission granted by the private unaided school recognised schools under the EWS/DG category beyond 25% admissions against the admission under the open seats/general category admission, shall be reimbursed as per the rates permissible…,” a circular issued by the Directorate of Education (DOE) said.

Parents had complained to the directorate of education that some schools were denying admission under the EWS/DG category on grounds that reimbursement for admissions beyond 25% was not being done by the department.

A department official said that there are some schools in which vacant nursery seats from last year were added to this year quota.

“Last year, due to some technical reasons there were schools where EWS/DG admissions in nursery were not done. So these seats were added to the existing nursery classes this year and in some cases, it has become 40% of the open seats,” the official said.

The circular clarified that, “…reimbursement of selected/ allotted candidates against the vacancies of academic ‘session 2017-18 added during the current academic session 2018-19 will also be done to the respective private unaided recognised schools”.

The official said that in some schools seats under general category are vacant. “There are some schools, especially in border areas, which are not able to fill the general category seats. But that should not be a reason for not filling up EWS/DG seats,” the official said.

The official, however, maintained that private schools are not obliged to fill the 25% of the declared general seats if they are eventually not able to fill all the general seats despite all attempts.

“But if they give admissions, then we will reimburse,” the official said.