HRD to look at extending EWS quota until Class 12

NEW DELHI: A PIL IN HIGH COURT HAS SAID THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO PAY THE FEE IN CLASS 9 WERE TOLD TO LEAVE BY THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS

The human resource development (HRD) ministry plans to study the effectiveness of the Right to Education (RTE) Act under which private schools earmarked 25% of the seats till Class 8 for students from the economically weaker section (EWS) of society and see whether it can be extended till Class 12.

The move comes even as the first batch of students enrolled in the EWS quota in 2011-12 complete Class 8, and amid concerns that they will now have to pay the same tuition fee as others (they currently do not pay any fee) or will be asked to leave the school.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said that the benefit being provided to the poor “will not be reduced or done away with” but added that the effectiveness of the RTE Act has to be studied.

“This will be the first batch that will be passing out from class 8. So let us see what can be done. Because we need to know how much the EWS scheme has been implemented, how many students benefited. We will study the entire scheme,” the minister said.

Under the scheme, the government reimburses the fee to private schools.

Earlier this month, the high court had sought the stand of the central and Delhi governments on a PIL that sought changes in the RTE Act to ensure students from poor families clearing Class 8 from private schools are able to study up to senior secondary level. The PIL has pointed out that these students are being asked to leave if they cannot pay the fee for Class 9.

Annie Namala, director of the Centre for Social Equity and Inclusion, who has served as a member of the National Advisory Council for the implementation of the RTE Act in 2010, said: “Class 10 is at least one level of education, a proper certification. The burden is put on the children, because technically, after Class 8, schools can ask these kids to leave, if they want to.”