Private unaided schools in the State have decided to boycott the online process for admissions to the 25% seats reserved for needy students under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, as the government has yet to clear their earlier dues.
The State is supposed to reimburse the school for the expenses for the students admitted to the 25% seats. To protest against the delay, various organisations from the State, including the Independent English Schools Association (IESA), Private Unaided School Management Association (PUSMA), have come together to form the Federation of Schools Association of Maharashtra.
PUSMA member Bharat Malik said, “Dues of nearly ₹800 crore have not been paid to schools. The government claims to have released ₹70 crore, which is way too less. The scheme has been on for five years. Shouldn’t the State have been prepared to handle this?” Mr. Malik said the government’s action were defeating the scheme’s purpose. “What happened to the funds from the Centre?” he asked.
Nihal Kiranalli, an education activist and AAP member, said such decisions will set the State back 20 years. “Hopefully, the government takes steps and reimburses the schools. Let’s not play with the future of students.”
In a January 16 circular, the State said that schools that fail to register on the online portal or dont admit students who have been allotted seats could be penalised and even lose registrations.
