Parents protest against denial of school admission under RTE

While on the one hand the Right to Education (RTE) Act is meant to ensure that nobody is denied education, around 50 children and their parents from colony number 4 staged a protest at the Government Model School, Sector 29, against the school authorities when they were denied admission. The reason cited by school principal Kusum Lata was that she was following the directions from the UT Education Department that instructs schools to first accommodate children from the neighbourhood areas of the school and only after from other areas.

The residents and children of Colony number 4, Sanjay Labour Colony and Kabari Market Labour Colony, along with the Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee Colony Cell members, got together to hold a dharna outside Government Model School, Sector 29, seeking implementation of the Right to Education Act.

The parents of the affected children gathered to express their outrage and protest against the non-availability of seats for admission to students of various neighbouring colonies. They were protesting against the indifferent and casual attitude of the Principal in responding to their queries regarding the same. Later the Principal, while addressing the issue, assured the parents that admission would be given to all these out-of-school children.

“It has been so many days that we are running from one school to another to get our children admitted in the government schools. We are not educated and do not have much knowledge so the school authorities make us come again and again for one reason or the other. We have heard that now nobody can deny a child admission in a school but it is not true here,” said Ram Kumar, a labourer and resident of colony number four.

Addressing the public, CTCC Colony Cell Chairman S S Tiwari expressed his concern. “Education is a fundamental right for all the children but the adamant nature of the principal had led to this situation that common people had to fight for the same. Also he commented that the education department is biased towards the colony children and assured that if the problem persists, the stir would continue.”

Later, the parents also had a meeting with the Director Public Instructions (schools) Sandeep Hans on the issue. He assured them that the matter would be looked into and their problems addressed.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/parents-protest-against-denial-of-school-admission-under-rte/782103/0