1,300 pvt schools fail to provide data for RTE reimbursement

Jaipur: Education minister Vasudev Devnani informed the assembly on Friday that 1,300 private schools have not been reimbursed the tuition fees for children enrolled under RTE as they failed to provide details of the remaining 75% students enrolled.
As per the RTE, 25% of the total seats have to be reserved for economically weaker sections. However, as some schools fabricate data of the total capacity, the education department reimburses fees of students enrolled under RTE only after verifying the enrolment of the remaining 75% students, said the minister, adding that 1,300 schools had failed to provide these details.

Replying to a question, Devnani said 6.5 lakh children were studying in various schools under RTE in the state, the highest in the country.

The state has reimbursed Rs 264.29 crore to schools under RTE in 2016-17, he informed the House. Funds were reimbursed to 24,387 schools with 1,300 in the pending list.

Reimbursement to schools in the pending list will be completed according to norms, he said.

On the issue of fixing school fees, the minister said a fee fixation committee, which includes school management, would decide the fees in private schools.

If parents are not satisfied with the proposed fee hike, they can lodge a complaint with the committee constituted by divisional commissioners, he said.

Also, schools have been directed to follow the curriculum; declare names, price and authors of books a month before a session begins; and not to change the school dress code for five years, Devnani said.

BOX: Now, Ahuja makes strange demand for neurosurgeons

Controversial BJP MLA Ghyan Dev Ahuja had a strange reason to demand more neurosurgeons at the Alwar district hospital. When health minister Kalicharan Saraf said there was a shortage of neurosurgeons even in medical colleges and it was not possible to appoint them at a district hospital, Ahuja, who represents the Ramgarh assembly seat in Alwar, said that the district required such specialists as it had more mental patients. Parliamentary affairs minister Rajendra Rathore then pointed out that neurosurgeons do not treat mental patients and alleged that the MLA was defaming the people of a whole district. Congress whip Govind Singh Dotasara retorted that the MLA thinks that the people of Alwar have gone mad after BJP was defeated in recent bypolls.