Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: Former Education Minister, Harsh Dev Singh today said that despite the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 having become applicable to the UT of J&K, the present regime continues with its unabated violation thereby depriving the prospective beneficiaries of the benefits envisaged under the said Act.
Expressing dismay over the gross defiance shown by the Government in implementing provisions of the Act, Harsh Dev said that it only demonstrated the contempt of the present rulers for the beneficial laws and educational reforms in the new UT. Not only have the provisions of the RTE Act been violated with impunity by the Education Department but the private schools also seem to have been granted immunity from observing the mandatory provisions of the Act.
Elaborating the basic highlights of RTE Act, Singh said that it envisaged the right of children to give free and compulsory education to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years, from class-I to class-VIII. It provides that no school fee, capitation, charges or expenses are to be paid by the child to get elementary education, a provision which was being brazenly defied by the Govt schools in the UT of J&K, Singh added.
“Charging of admission fee and other charges was violative of the provisions of the Act. The Act further states that no child or his parents would be subject to any screening procedure for admission to school. It further calls for provision of free text-books, writing materials and uniforms”, Singh added.
He expressed his shock over the collection of huge fee and other charges by the Govt from students of class-I to class-VIII in the form of Admission School Improvement Fund, Red Cross Fund, Mutual Benefits Fund, Games Fund, Printing Fund, Science Fund, Computer Fund, Lab Fund, Sweeping charges, Electricity/Telephone Fund and News Fund. He demanded refund of all fee charged from students by Govt as well as private schools for the last two years as per RTE Act.
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