DCPCR to Release Study Listing Excuses of Schools Denying Admission to EWS Children

New Delhi: A survey based on Delhi schools probing the functioning of admissions under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category has listed close to 1,200 grievances registered since October 2016. Among these, denying admission to EWS children despite availability of seats and not providing books and uniform to children seeking admission under relevant provisions of the RTE Act, figure at the top of the list, reported Indian Express.

The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) will soon release the survey which lists grievances of parents seeking admission for their children in the EWS category under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act, 2009.

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which was implemented in Delhi in 2011, all private schools were asked to admit students from EWS background in 25% of seats. But a Supreme Court judgment exempted minority institutes from the ambit of the RTE in 2014.

Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act mandates reserving 25% of seats for children belonging to EWS and Disadvantaged Group (DG) categories. Schools however have been reducing EWS seats, citing the 3:1 rule, wherein for every three general students admitted from the general category, there shall be one student under the EWS/DG category.

“What we have seen is if there are less number of students admitted under general category (against the total number of seats available), the schools reduce EWS seats. After the draw of lots, the schools cite less admission under general category to put EWS students in the waiting list. This is a very recurrent problem,” said Anurag Kundu, DCPCR member.

A major problem the study cites is schools not admitting students despite having seats in the EWS category. According to rules, schools are required to declare vacant seats with the Directorate of Education before the admission process begins. Denial of books and uniform is another issue of grievance, according to the study. According to rules, schools are required to provide these materials, later reimbursed by the government.

The Times of India carried a report saying that the government spends Rs 1,598 on a monthly basis on the children studying in government schools. Thus, private schools that charge more than this amount from general category students get close to Rs 19,000 every year per EWS child at the end of academic session in reimbursement.

School authorities find this amount too little. “This is not even 15% of what we actually spend on our children,” Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal of Springdales, Pusa Road, was quoted in the report a few weeks ago . “The school uniforms for summer and winter cost money. For books, we get between Rs 300 and Rs 600 per year depending on the class and this amount also goes directly to the children,” she had said.

Wattal had also pointed out that the schools don't get paid on time by the government, an allegation the government has rebutted. Atishi Marlena, who was then serving as an advisor to deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on education, said,"The schools that have applied for reimbursements have been paid. In fact, several schools, especially those on DDA land with a lease rider on taking EWS kids, don’t apply at all. Such schools took the land on the condition that 20% of the cost on EWS students will be borne by them. They do not apply for the remaining 5% because maybe they don’t feel the need to."

The study draws attention to an ongoing case in the high court about schools often not providing free books and uniform. The top five grievances listed by parents include demanding income certificates from parents of DG category candidates and high ancillary charges for picnic and other school activities. As per rules, those admitted under DG category need not submit income certificates.

The report has also named schools that are habitual offenders, who have been violating provisions under Section 12(1)(c) of RTE Act. Twenty such schools have been named so far.

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