Private schools in tussle with govt over RTE reimbursements

We demand the govt order be withdrawn immediately and the reimbursement for RTE admissions be paid. When schools are closed and our staffs are bound to stay indoors how can we compile such data which is also irrelevant when the govt has promoted every student..

BIKANER: Private schools in Rajasthan not submitting the details of online classes conducted during the pandemic may have to face tough times.

The education department has asked the private schools to submit every detail of online teaching, including their mode and method, along with contact details of the students registered under the Right to Education (RTE) Act.

The deadline was till May 15, which has been extended up to May 22. However, hundreds of private schools across the state have not uploaded the desired data as a token of protest, private school organisations claimed.

“We demand that the order by the government be withdrawn immediately and the reimbursement for RTE admissions be paid. When schools are closed and our staffs are bound to stay indoors how can we compile such data which is also irrelevant when the government has promoted every student to higher class without examinations,” said Giriraj Kheriwal, state coordinator of Private Educational Institutes Prosperity Alliance (PEIPA).

There are 39,540 schools having about 800,000 students in Rajasthan affiliated with the RTE scheme.

The education department has warned of taking strict action that could lead up to rejection of reimbursement claims of RTE benefits for 2020-21.

According to the officials of the education department, familiar with the developments, the private school organisations, in an affidavit, admitted in the Supreme Court that they have conducted online courses for the students. “Why they are so hesitant in providing the details to the department,” said Sourabh Swami, director of education.

“We have extended the last date viewing the difficulties of school administration and we have asked them for simple information like contact details of students and mode of conducting lesson, which is supposed to be easily available, if they had conducted an online class,” he said.

Several legislators have also come in support of private schools demanding the payments of reimbursements. MLA from Kota (South), Anoopgarh, Sangaria, Pilibunga, Churu, Nohar, Nasirabad have written to chief minister Ashok Gehlot and education minister Govind Singh Dotasara to intervene in the matter and resolve it.