Friday, 24 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), Geeta Khanna has asked the officials of the Education department to promptly release the list of students covered under the Right to Education (RTE) Act to avoid delay in their admissions. She emphasised the importance of not delaying this disclosure to ensure that the students do not face disruptions in their studies at the beginning of the academic session. Khanna said that she had earlier requested the Education department to provide an updated RTE students list in April, but was informed that the list had not yet been updated. She highlighted that the commencement of the new academic session typically occurs in April and the delay in releasing the RTE students list hampers these students in keeping pace with their peers who are not enrolled under RTE Act. Considering this, she has urged both the Education minister and the department to prioritise this matter and ensure that the RTE student list is disclosed in a timely manner to prevent any academic setbacks.
She further informed that there are a few schools in the State that refused to admit students under the RTE Act. She urged parents to file a complaint with the commission if any school denies admission to their wards under the RTE Act, stating that strict action will be taken against them.
Khanna also expressed concerns about schools exploiting the minority status. She highlighted that from the time of the implementation of the RTE Act in 2004 till 2014, an average of 800 schools nationwide have obtained minority status to avoid enrolling students under the Act. She argued that the minority status of a school does not benefit minority students in any way. She suggested that the government should address this issue, as the minority status of schools seems to be merely a formality with no substantial impact.
