The Hindu : New Delhi News : RTE Act against interests of students, teachers: Parents

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Sunday, Feb 21, 2010
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RTE Act against interests of students, teachers: Parents

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Asserting that the Right to Education Act, 2009, in its present form goes against the interests of both students and teachers and only benefits the managements of private schools, senior BJP leader and Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh president Vijender Gupta and All-India Parents’ Association president Ashok Agarwal on Saturday demanded that either the definition part of capitation fee in the RTE Act be repealed or provisions on regularisation of fee be inserted into the Act.

Addressing a joint press conference, Mr. Gupta criticised the alleged stand of Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal in giving a free hand to the private schools to charge arbitrary and exorbitant fee from the students. “The RTE Act does not contain any provision authorising the Government to regulate fee and other charges in the private schools,” he said.

Cautioning that this would promote commercialisation of education, he said in terms of the Constitutional mandate and Supreme Court decision such commercialisation of education is totally prohibited. The former MCD Standing Committee chairman said the Government not only has the powers but also the duty to check such commercialisation.

The two stated that Mr. Sibal had also committed a wrong by mentioning that after the notification of the RTE Act the management of private schools would be able to settle the salaries of teachers as per their own decisions and they were not bound to pay to the salaries and other benefits in accordance with the recommendation of the Central pay commissions.

Finding the statement misleading, Mr. Gupta said even after the coming into force of the RTE Act the provisions of the School Education Act, 1973, relating to protection of salaries and benefits to teachers of private schools would still remain intact.

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