Govt drops quota clause for pvt schools

BANGALORE: Succumbing to pressure from private school managements, the Centre has dropped a crucial clause in the model Right to Education Bill, which would have made it mandatory for unaided schools to reserve 25per cent seats for the free education of poor children from standard 1 onwards.

In the draft Bill sent to all states for feedback, the Centre has deleted this clause which was recommended by a committee headed by Union science and technology minister Kapil Sibal and constituted by Central Advisory Board of Education.

The Sibal committee had recommended that state schools of specified categories, and all unaided schools, provide free education to at least 25per cent children admitted to class I from among weaker sections.

This entire clause has been deleted from Section 4 of the model RTE Bill, 2006.

‘‘Even private schools have a role to play in universalisation of education. How can they be left out of this social obligation when they also enjoy the state’s benefits like land?’’ said V P Niranjanaradhya of National Law School of India, who was part of the Sibal committee.

However, individual states are free to introduce such a clause through legislation. Delhi has a similar law on paper and on Tuesday, Bihar cabinet okayed a Common School System wherein private schools in the state applying for CBSE accreditation will have to reserve 25per cent of seats for poor students. A Bihar government official said 25 schools had already agreed to the clause.