Schools to prove compliance with norms for RTE payments

Nagpur: Schools in Nagpur district will now have to submit a thicker set of documents if they wish to receive reimbursements for admissions done under the 25% Right To Education (RTE) quota.
Following a complaints by activists about schools not following proper procedure for appointing principals, unavailability of playgrounds and other infrastructure, the education department has asked schools to verify compliance by submitting more documents.
The district’s education office has written to schools that documents related to hiring of principal plus details of their administrative and financial authority be also included along with reimbursement claim.
While free admissions is the most talked about aspect of RTE, the Act covers a wide range of things about what is expected from schools. There are mandatory things required from school that covers staff qualifications and specific infrastructure.
Shahid Sharif, who had filed the complaint, said if any one of the RTE guidelines is being flouted by schools then it will be illegal to give them reimbursements for admissions done.
“The law says that principals must have a minimum number of years as experience apart from having an education field degree. There are conditions to have playgrounds, a minimum size of land for the campus but many schools do not qualify for this. As per rule, schools must fill in their ‘self declaration’ form every time they submit a bill for RTE reimbursements but they don’t do that,” said Sharif.
Many schools have received half their reimbursement amount for financial year 2017-18 and now for the remaining half they will have to submit extra documents.
Sharif said, “The catch is that schools will have to submit self-declaration and if documents prove they have not complied with the guidelines, then no money will be paid. No school will risk fudging data in that form as everything will be on record and can be cross checked anytime.”
In his original complaint, Sharif had written to officials in Mantralaya that RTE payments must be stopped immediately by the government to all schools that fail to comply with guidelines.