The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to give its stand on a plea seeking to extend provisions of the Right to Education (RTE), which gives free compulsory education to economically weaker section (EWS) or category students upto Class XII.
The petition filed by NGO Social Jurist, through advocate Ashok Aggarwal, highlighted that EWS category students face difficulties after they clear Class VIII as RTE does not give free education upto Class XII in unaided non-minority private schools. “It is submitted that after Class VIII a DG/EWS student is left with option only to go to government school for further education,” the petition said.
He submitted that in the Capital, the AAP government through Delhi Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules 2011 has ensured that DG/EWS students admitted under RTE in private unaided schools situated on public land are allowed to continue their free education up to Class XII. However, this benefit is not available to DG/EWS students studying in private schools not on public land. He said that there are nearly 2,000 unaided private schools in Delhi out of which around 400 schools are on public land and the rest on private land.
“Thousands of DG/EWS category students who have passed out Class VII or who would be passing Class VIII in coming academic year and are in school on private land would be denied benefit of continuation of free education upto Class XII because of default on part of respondents to bring necessary amendments in RTE Act, 2009,” the plea said.
The High Court has posted the case for hearing on May 27.
Published - April 10, 2019 01:44 am IST
