Many BPL students deprived of admission in pvt schools despite availability of seats

Since the implementation of Right to Education Act, in 2010, till date over 3 lakh BPL students have been enrolled in various private schools across the state but the School Education Department and Directorate of Public Instruction still doesn’t have the figures of such students continuing their studies in these private schools. In the academic year 2018-19 alone, there were 80,583 seats reserved for BPL students in private schools against which 76,875 students had applied online. Ironically, only 40,571 BPL students have been given admission in private schools during the said academic year while 40,000 seats (approx) remained vacant. Similarly, in the academic year 2019-20, 86,480 seats were reserved in 6,426 private schools for BPL students against which online application were received from 99,780 students.

Till date, only 46,751 BPL students were provided admission while 45,000 (approx) seats are still vacant. Asserting that implementation of Right to Education Act is worst in Chhattisgarh, Kristopher Paul, State President Chhattisgarh Parents’ Association alleged that every year thousands of BPL students are deprived from free education. Most of these students, who had applied online for admission in Class-I, have already crossed 6 years of age and they will not be eligible for the said facility in the next academic year as they will complete 7 years age and eligibility criteria is 6.5 years for admission in Class-I.Kristopher Paul has further alleged that the officials in School Education Department are allegedly providing indirect benefit to private schools in a pre-planned manner at the cost of depriving these poor students from getting free quality education, which is unfortunate.

Quoting a judgment of High Court of Chhattisgarh, Paul said as per court directive issued on September 14, 2016, it is clearly mentioned that every RTE seat should be filled invariably but this directive is being violated clearly. Kristopher Paul further alleged that after taking admissions under RTE, the BPL students are compelled to purchase uniforms as well as text-books and copies on their own expenses although the court had issued directives twice that students given admissions under RTE should be provided with free uniform and free text-books and copies, but the said directives are also being violated. Paul said the Chhattisgarh Parents’ Association is engaged in ensuring benefits for the BPL students taking admissions under RTE since last 7 years.

Although the purview of RTE has been extended till Class XII in Chhattisgarh, its benefits are not reaching to students who have already taken admission, that is the reason why, despite getting admission in private schools, thousands of students are compelled of leaving private schools, which the state government needs to deal with seriously. Chhattisgarh Parents’ Association President Kristopher Paul demanded that at a time when the state government is spending crores every year for drop-out students despite which the BPL students are getting deprived from free education, it is high time that responsibilities of officials concerned should be fixed.