‘Most Odisha schools snub quota for poor’

Citing the example of schools in Berhampur, Green Nobel Prize winner social activist Prafulla Samantara alleged that a large number of private schools in Odisha were ignoring the 25% quota for disadvantaged groups and weaker sections in entry-level classes under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RCFCE) Act, 2009.

As per a study conducted by Lok Shakti Abhiyan in Berhampur, a major urban centre of Odisha, 60 out of 86 private schools have not fulfilled this criterion under the RCFCE Act during the last academic year.

Free education

On April 13, 2017, the Directorate of Elementary Education of Odisha had directed all collectors and chairpersons of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in the State to ensure the provision of free education to children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections in private un-aided schools against 25% quota under Section 12 (1) (C) of RCFCE Act.

The district administrations were to initiate admissions under the Act from 2017-18 academic session and on failing to implement it the relevant Boards were to be asked to withdraw affiliation of the schools concerned.

The schools were to display the number of students admitted under the quota on their notice boards. But most private schools have preferred to ignore it, said Mr Samantara. He demanded that the government initiate action against private schools that have knowingly ignored the RCFCE Act. He also said that the administration should to make people of weaker sections aware of the provision of free education in private schools.

Madhusudan Sethy, an activist of LSA cited information received through an RTI plea to criticise the officials of the Education Department for neglecting the implementation of the RCFCE Act. According to him, the District Education Officer (DEO) of Berhampur has not issued any notices to private schools which have violated the norms of the Act.

“Last year, the Education Department provided no-objection certificates to 18 such private schools in Berhampur and 11 in the adjoining Gopalpur. Irony is that some of the private schools lack basic infrastructure like library, ground for sports, adequate toilets for girls, proper boundary walls etc ,” said Mr