No school is issuing application forms to students from economically backward families in the neighbourhood.

Private schools demand donations, exploit teachers

Parents are being fleeced and teachers exploited while private schools are exploring ways and means to avoid admission of students under Right to Education (RTE) Act in the district.
No school is issuing application forms to students from economically backward families in the neighbourhood. They are reluctant to share any information on the RTE Act. Even if parents procure application forms from the education department, private schools are not accepting them. 

They turn down by saying that the admission process is over and there was no use applying. They also frighten parents that admission in all schools would be over soon so they should try other schools as soon as possible.

All private schools in the district, which are used to only fleece parents in the form of either donations to trusts floated by them or development fees for the school itself, are reluctant to admit 25 per cent students for a meagre fees — sans any donation. 

Some of the schools are bold enough to extort up to Rs 35,000 as fees itself as they adopt Central syllabus and do not come under the purview of the state education department.

Another allegation against schools is that despite extorting exorbitant amounts in the form of tuition fees, development fees and donations, they exploit teachers by paying little as salaries. As trained teachers are scarce, most of the teachers in these schools are parents themselves.

As the admission process is nearing completion, parents are busy admitting their wards to schools of their choice.

 Their choice depends on either proximity or quality. So, they end up paying whatever the school authorities demand. Some of the parents are scouting for schools, where the donations are comparatively less. 

There are 69 aided and 225 unaided schools under the state syllabus scheme in the district. There is no count of Central syllabus schools as they register with Central boards and hence do not care for either the state education department or the district administration. 

District level officers feel they are blessed if they are invited as guests in such schools for annual day or other celebrations.

MLAs, MLCs and MPs generously issue recommendation letters to parents urging the school authorities to reduce the amount of donation.

Some parents are using the letters to only secure a seat for their wards, as the schools do not compromise on the amount.

According to government rules, aided schools can collect Rs 175 as tuition fees and Rs 500 as development fees. 

In unaided schools, the total salary paid to teachers should be divided by the total number of students to arrive at the fees amount. They can collect Rs 600 as development fees. However, none follow the rules.

Further, unaided schools exploit teachers. Primary school teachers should be paid a minimum of Rs 6,800 as monthly salary and high school teachers Rs 8,800. However, not many schools match this figure.

There is a district level committee, with the deputy commissioner as president, to eradicate the menace of donations in schools. 

But, its function stops at a customary annual meeting with school authorities and a warning that no schools should collect any donations.

Education dept to probe case

Dipti Sonawala : Mumbai, Fri May 25 2012, 01:36 hrs

Following a police complaint against Vibgyor High School, Goregaon, on Wednesday for allegedly violating the Right To Education (RTE) Act, the school education department has decided to probe the case. NGO Desh Seva Samiti (DSS) on Thursday wrote to the school education department seeking action against the school management.

On Wednesday morning, DSS activists had approached authorities of the school seeking admissions for eight students from economically weaker section (EWS). However, the students were denied admission and a non-cognisable complaint was filed against the school and its manager.

While the schools are set to re-open in June, the state government is yet to issue guidelines to the education department and schools on the implementation of the RTE Act. “ By the time the government issues the guidelines, the schools will complete their admission process. What will they do after that? Will they cancel the admissions to accommodate the 25 per cent students from EWS?” said Avisha Kulkarni of DSS.

However, education officer of west zone P R Pawar said the modalities had been worked out and guidelines are likely to be issued in 10-12 days. “We have received a complaint from the NGO about the issue. However, before acting upon it, we will have to hear out both sides. We will be investigating on what grounds the school has denied the admissions to those students. Even if there are no guidelines, the school should have accepted the application from the students. We will also probe if the school was given a minority status,” said Pawar. Meanwhile, school authorities maintain that they are an unaided minority school and so does not have to follow these rules. “We have a letter from the state government dated October 31, 2011, which states that neither have they granted minority status to Vibgyor High School nor have they received any application from the school seeking minority status,” added Kulkarni.

Rustom Kerawalla, founder and chairman of the school, was out of town and refused to comment on the issue.

The principal of a private school in south Mumbai said, “Why should we delay our admission process and wait for the government to issue the guidelines? There’s going to be confusion over the issue. The education department has not conducted any meetings with schools, nor have they issued any guidelines. By the month-end, problems will worsen as admission process will be over in most of the schools.”

NGO files complaint against school for violating RTE Act

Dipti Sonawala : Mumbai, Thu May 24 2012, 04:01 hrs

A police complaint was filed by an NGO against Vibgyor High School in Goregaon on Wednesday for allegedly violating the Right To Education (RTE) Act. Activist Avisha Kulkarni of NGO Desh Seva Samiti (DSS) alleged that the school denied admission to eight students from economically weaker section (EWS).

On Wednesday, Kulkarni along with a few other activists from DSS and eight students approached the school authorities seeking admission. She alleged that the school refused to accept their application and did not even allow them into the campus. Kulkarni’s daughter Adishree had been expelled from the same school in 2010 after Kulkarni filed a police complaint against the school and protested against what she said was an arbitrary increase in fees in 2009.

“We were made to wait for more than an hour outside the school. Later, the manager of the school asked us to leave the premises and informed us that admission will not be given to these students as Vibgyor High is a minority school. However, as per my knowledge Vibgyor High is not a minority school and I have a letter from the state government supporting this,” said Kulkarni.

“We were left with no options but to file a police complaint against the school and its manager. Even two years after the Act came into force, the rules are being violated by the schools. Schools often give excuses such as not having proper guidelines to follow the Act. However, even the government is to be blamed for not taking cognisance of private schools violating the rules. The state government is also delaying the process of framing proper guidelines on the implementation of the Act,” added Kulkarni.

“When we first heard about the Act we were very happy. It is not in our capacity to send our kids to good quality private schools but the Act came as a ray of hope to many like us. However, the way we were denied admission at Vibgyor High School on Wednesday, I don’t think this is going to be easy,” said Tushar Naik, one of the parents.

Another parent Malti Salvi said, “When the government has introduced 25 per cent reservation, how can schools violate it? Is the RTE Act just an eyewash?”

Rustom Kerawalla, founder and chairman of Vibgyor High, said: “I am out of town and have no idea about what happened in the school. In that case neither me nor any other official of the school would want to comment on the issue.”

“Any underprivileged child aspiring to study in a good private school cannot be denied admission. We are not targeting any one school, in fact, this is part of our campaign to ensure that every underprivileged child can get the benefit of the Act. We will be approaching other schools too after this,” said Kulkarni.

“We have registered a non-cognisable complaint for now. However, it is a civil matter and we have asked the complainant to take up the matter with the education department,” said Sub-Inspector Dhananjay Kawade from Goregaon police station.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ngo-files-complaint-against-school-for-violating-rte-act/953201/0

Know your Right to Education

Most of know that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (henceforth referred to as RTE) was notified on 1st April 2010. However, we are simply not bothered to know how it can be used to ensure that every child gets the education he/she rightfully deserves. If you are a citizen of Delhi and want to know how you can use RTE to empower children, then read on. This article elucidates the provisions in the RTE Act and Delhi Model Rules to ensure free and compulsory education for all children.

For children already admitted in private schools and not belonging to the economically weaker sections of society –
1. Every private school now has to submit a self-declaration form for recognition within 3 months of the enactment of RTE. If your child attends a school which is private unaided and is either recognised or unrecognised, talk to the school authorities and find out whether they have submitted the form 19. If they fail to do, the school faces closure after three years.
2. The form as well as the reports of the inspection of the Deputy Director of Education is supposed to be placed in a public domain. Simply put, if you want to know the details of any school in your neighbourhood, you should be able to get a copy of the self declaration form as well as the inspection reports from the concerned Deputy Director of Education and then make an informed choice.

For children belonging to economically weaker sections of society (EWS) –
1. Schools run by the local authority (MCD/NDMC) and state government (Directorate of Education) cannot deny admission to any child and must provide free and compulsory elementary education to all children. Thus, irrespective of family income, the above schools cannot charge any fees for providing education.
2. Aided schools have to provide free and compulsory education to a minimum 25% of the class strength and further dependent on the amount of grant it receives.
3. In private unaided schools, at least 25% of the class strength should belong to the EWS in the neighbourhood at the time of admissions in class 1 and provide free and compulsory elementary education till its completion.
4. Every child admitted under the EWS quota is entitled to free textbooks and uniforms irrespective of the type of school he/she studies in.
5. Children belonging to EWS cannot be discriminated against in the classroom, during mid day meals, in the playgrounds, library and ICT facilities, extra-curricular activities, in the use of common drinking water and toilet facilities.
6. For children admitted to private aided or unaided schools under the EWS quota, they should not be segregated from other children in the school and their classes should not be held at places and timings different from the regular school timings. Thus, if any school says they are running evening classes specially for EWS children, they’re violating the RTE. The school has to teach all children at the same time, in the same classrooms and cannot under any circumstances discriminate against these children.

For children studying in local authority (NDMC/MCD) and state government (Directorate of Education) schools –
1. Right to free and compulsory education, thus no fees or expenses to be charged till the completion of elementary education.
2. A child can transfer to another government/local authority or aided school to complete elementary education and cannot be denied a transfer certificate. The head teacher may face disciplinary action if the transfer certificate is not issued. Also, the school to which admission is sought cannot refuse admission due to non availability of a transfer certificate. Thus, a child can study in any government/local authority/aided school he wishes to.
3. The state government and local authority have to ensure availability of a school within the specified neighbourhood limit of two kilometres for classes 1-5 and five kilometres for classes 6-8.
4. All schools except for private unaided schools now have to constitute a school management committee. Three fourths of the committee must constitute parents or guardians of the children. Half of the committee must comprise of women. The Delhi Model Rules specify a wide range of activities that an SMC must carry out including monitoring attendance and mid day meals, ensuring that the school complies with the Act as well as preparing a school development plan. Hence, parents whose children study in any school except a private unaided school should find out whether the SMC has been constituted and if they really want to improve the standards of the school, then try and become a part of the committee.

Out of school children –
1. If a child above six years of age has not been admitted in a school, then he has to be admitted in a class appropriate to his age. Thus, a ten year old cannot be admitted in class 1.
2. It is the responsibility of the school management committee and the local authority to provide special training to such children to ensure that they are at par with other children of their age.
3. The special training has to be held in the school premises by teachers from the school, and the classes have to be for a minimum duration of three months and up to a maximum of two years.
4. After completion of the training, the child still has to receive special attention from the teachers to ensure successful integration.
5. No child can be denied admission due to a lack of age proof.

Rules applicable to every school –
1. Certificate of completion of elementary education now has to be issued within one month of completion of elementary education. Thus, if your pupil has completed class 8th ask for the report card within a month and a school cannot deny/withhold the certificate for any child now.
2. The extended period for admission as specified by Delhi Model Rules is six months. Hence, a school can admit children till six months after the start of the session. So if any school says that they cannot admit a child since the session has already started, they’re violating the RTE and can be held accountable
3. Any instances of the following are against the RTE and action can be taken against the school for such behaviour.
• A school cannot charge a capitation fee for admission
• A school cannot conduct a screening procedure other than a random method for admission to a school
• A child cannot be held back or expelled from school until the completion of elementary education
• A child cannot be subjected to mental or physical harassment.

Ensuring the Right to Education –
Under chapter VI of the Right to Education Act, Section 31 specifies the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights as the monitoring agency for the right to education. In case of any complaints or violations of child rights, they can be contacted at National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, 5th Floor, Chanderlok Building, 36, Janpath, New Delhi - 110 001(e-Mail: complaints.ncpcr@gmail.com).
For complaints within Delhi, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights can be contacted at 5th Floor, ISBT Building, Kashmiri Gate, New Delhi (Ph.23862685/92/93)
A written complaint can also be made to the local authority (MCD/NDMC) having jurisdiction which will have to resolve the matter within three months.

Mumbai schools must make space for more students

MUMBAI: If you have enrolled your child in the pre-primary section or Class I of a private unaided school this year, you could be in for much anxiety. First, schools may have to reopen admissions to make space for candidates belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) and socially disadvantaged groups (SDG). Second, in a game changer, SC/ST and OBC reservations will be made at the school level. 

On Wednesday, officials from the school education department said no private unaided school barring minority unaided institutions can get away from the Supreme Court's April 12 verdict on the RTE Act. This means EWS and SDG children will comprise 25% of a class at the entry level. Much chaos might be in store as schools do not know how to accomplish this without either increasing class size or cancelling admissions of confirmed students. 

Also, though SDG has not been defined, it will in all likelihood include children from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, OBCs and nomadic tribes, minorities (as defined by the state), and those living in orphanages and children's homes. SC/STs and minorities are likely to be part of SDG irrespective of their income. 

As for EWS, again, though a formal definition is yet to come, the category is likely to include below-poverty-line (BPL) card holders and those with an annual family income of Rs 1 lakh or less. The 25% quota is to be equally divided between SDG and EWS candidates. 

As per the SC directive, the quota, an RTE requirement, is to be made applicable on all schools except unaided minority schools from this year onwards. 

To get away from implementing the provision, a number of schools had argued that their admission process was over before the apex court pronounced its verdict. Based on the order, the state government has now clarified that such schools, too, will have to adhere to the RTE quota. "The SC verdict clearly states that only admissions carried out in unaided minority schools before the pronouncement of the judgment will not be reopened," a senior official from the school education department said. 

On Wednesday, the state cabinet discussed a proposal for defining EWS and SDG, and a formal notification is expected in a couple of days. The school education department had earlier proposed including only BPL card holders in EWS. But the Rs 1 lakh ceiling was decided on after a section of ministers from urban areas (Nitin Raut, Naseem Khan and Suresh Shetty) argued that the BPL norm might not be practical for cities. The law and judiciary department has been assigned the task of drafting the notification. 

A fine of Rs 25,000 would be levied on schools failing to adhere to the act. For second time offenders, the fine would increase to Rs 50,000. Officials said the RTE permits the derecognizing of a school for repeated offences. Also, the government will reimburse a school Rs 10,217 per quota child per annum. The school must bear the remaining expenditure. 


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mumbai-schools-must-make-space-for-more-students/articleshow/13183788.cms

Everything hinges on minority definition

BANGALORE: With the education department dragging its feet on defining a minority institution, there is confusion all round. Shockingly, even the Block Education Officers (BEOs) are not sure which schools should be included to provide the 25% quota for children from Economically Weaker Section (EWS). Sample this: As many as 11 aided private institutions located in Frazer town area alone are missing from the list prepared for Bangalore North region.

"Schools like Goodwill Girls High School, Holy Angels Girls High School, St Xavier's Boys High School, St Joseph's Convent Girls High Schooland St Rocks Boys and Girls High School are some of the names that are missing from the list. It's important to have these names as these are some of the schools in the area that provide quality education," said Yasir Mohammed, a social worker from Frazer Town.

With the last date for submission of the application form being May 25, it's a nerve-racking situation for many parents who want their children to be admitted in these schools under the RTE quota. "I want to put my child in a better school. But the schools of my choice are not in the list. I see no point in taking off my child from his current school and getting him admitted to an institution that is no better than the existing school," said R Tilottamma, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar slum in Frazer Town.

Moreover, there are some, who have already paid the admission fees for this academic year. "My daughter goes to St Rocks Boys and Girls High School, but the school is not in the list. I paid Rs 8,000 a month ago for the coming academic year as I did not know about RTE and neither did the school tell me about the act. Even if I continue sending my daughter to the same school, I will not be able to get the admission fees reimbursed unless the school is there in the list," said P Charles, a parent.

"I have filed a PIL against all these snags associated with RTE. The list with names of the schools under RTE in Bangalore North is incomplete. Eight to nine good institutions are missing from the list,'' complained Yunus Mohammad, a resident of Bharati nagar.

EVEN THE DEPARTMENT IS CONFUSED

"Although theses schools are aided institutions, they are minority institutions as well. So they may have been omitted. This status put us in a fix and so we did not include these names. Though I feel that even if these names are not in the list, it should not create confusion as everybody knows that these schools are aided and have reservation for the poor," said Ashwath Narayan Gowda, Block Education Officer, North 3.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Everything-hinges-on-minority-definition/articleshow/13158712.cms

चाणक्य के 15 सूक्ति वाक्य

चाणक्य के 15 सूक्ति वाक्य ---- जरुर पढ़ें और इस ज्ञान को अग्रेषित (शेयर) करें ...

1) "दूसरो की गलतियों से सीखो अपने ही ऊपर प्रयोग करके सीखने को तुम्हारी आयु कम पड़ेगी."

2)"किसी भी व्यक्ति को बहुत ईमानदार नहीं होना चाहिए ---सीधे बृक्ष और व्यक्ति पहले काटे जाते हैं."

3)"अगर कोई सर्प जहरीला नहीं है तब भी उसे जहरीला दिखना चाहिए वैसे दंश भले ही न दो पर दंश दे सकने की क्षमता का दूसरों को अहसास करवाते रहना चाहिए. "

4)"हर मित्रता के पीछे कोई स्वार्थ जरूर होता है --यह कडुआ सच है."

5)"कोई भी काम शुरू करने के पहले तीन सवाल अपने आपसे पूछो ---मैं ऐसा क्यों करने जा रहा हूँ ? इसका क्या परिणाम होगा ? क्या मैं सफल रहूँगा ?"

6)"भय को नजदीक न आने दो अगर यह नजदीक आये इस पर हमला करदो यानी भय से भागो मत इसका सामना करो ."

7)"दुनिया की सबसे बड़ी ताकत पुरुष का विवेक और महिला की सुन्दरता है."

8)"काम का निष्पादन करो , परिणाम से मत डरो."

9)"सुगंध का प्रसार हवा के रुख का मोहताज़ होता है पर अच्छाई सभी दिशाओं में फैलती है."

10)"ईस्वर चित्र में नहीं चरित्र में बसता है अपनी आत्मा को मंदिर बनाओ."

11) "व्यक्ति अपने आचरण से महान होता है जन्म से नहीं."

12) "ऐसे व्यक्ति जो आपके स्तर से ऊपर या नीचे के हैं उन्हें दोस्त न बनाओ,वह तुम्हारे कष्ट का कारण बनेगे. सामान स्तर के मित्र ही सुखदाई होते हैं ."

13) "अपने बच्चों को पहले पाँच साल तक खूब प्यार करो. छः साल से पंद्रह साल तक कठोर अनुशासन और संस्कार दो .सोलह साल से उनके साथ मित्रवत व्यवहार करो.आपकी संतति ही आपकी सबसे अच्छी मित्र है."

14) "अज्ञानी के लिए किताबें और अंधे के लिए दर्पण एक सामान उपयोगी है ."

15) "शिक्षा सबसे अच्छी मित्र है. शिक्षित व्यक्ति सदैव सम्मान पाता है. शिक्षा की शक्ति के आगे युवा शक्ति और सौंदर्य दोनों ही कमजोर हैं ."

( यह अनुवाद नहीं भावार्थ है अगर कोई चूक या त्रुटि हो तो सुधार करें. -----सम्पूर्ण आज़ादी का शंखनाद )