Unaided schools oppose fee reimbursement plan for students admitted under RTE Act
Members of unaided private school management associations in Andhra Pradesh are strongly opposing the government's proposed 'per child expenditure' amount for fee reimbursement. This reimbursement is meant for students admitted under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
The Act mandates unaided private schools to reserve 25% of their entry-level seats for children belonging to the economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups.
To decide the 'per child expenditure' amount, the government recently formed a committee. This committee is chaired by the Principal Secretary of Government School Education and includes the State Project Director of Samagra Shiksha (as member and convener), the Commissioner of School Education, representatives from private and unaided school management associations, and NGOs such as Indus Action, Pratham, and UNICEF.
The committee members, who represented AP Private, Unaided Schools Managements Association, AP Private Schools' Association, AP Independent School Managements Association (ISMA) and United Private Education Institutions, raised objections to the proposed classification of schools and demanded that the government fix the reimbursement amount according to the Right to Education Act. They argued that the officials' approach on the issue was unfair and burdensome to the private schools.
Accusing the State government of failure in fulfilling its obligation on reimbursement of the fees of these children in the last three years, they said the GOs released during this period were also struck down by the Andhra Pradesh High Court. They said despite tremendous financial pressure, the private school managements allowed the students to continue their education in their respective institutions.
Citing pending reimbursement of last three years, they said the government should clarify who will clear the pending payment and demanded that the government adopt a practical and fair stand on the issue and fix the reimbursement amount as per stipulated norms.
They said several small institutions were on the verge of closure due to the increasing financial pressure and added that their plight would further deteriorate if the State went ahead with its decision on the fee structure.
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