IMPHAL, January 27: The controversy over the implementation of RTE in educational institutions in the state and more so in certain private and catholic schools looks set to continue further in light of arguments and counter arguments over entrance tests for admission to elementary classes. While parent and student groups have pointed out to RTE guidelines preventing schools from conducting such tests, mission school authorities have claimed that their institutions are not under the ambit of RTE as they are minority based groups and are unaided by the Government.
Even as there is total silence from the Education Department on the matter, the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) has pointed out that if the schools in question go ahead with conducting their admission tests tomorrow, they would be violating the constitutional fundamental rights sub judice as there is a suo moto case being taken up by the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Addressing a press meet at the Manipur Press Club, K Pradipkumar Convenor MACR said that the RTE passed in 2009 and implemented in 2010 covers different types of schools – Govt. school, Aided School, Unaided Private Schools. “Only Madrassas teaching the Quran and its lessons and Vedic schools teaching Hindu texts do not have to implement the RTE act,” he said while adding that MACR has been raising its voice since the past two years regarding RTE implementation in the state and that it is wrong to conduct admission entrance tests for elementary classes.
Drawing attention to a notification from the Manipur Govt. Education (S) Director notice saying that there should not be any screening tests for admission into elementary class level till the elementary standard for the admission, Pradipkumar said that there are no acts or rule stating that schools set up by minority groups have the right to conduct admission tests. He was referring to the notification of the Aided Catholic Education Society that there is no change in the notification under the RTE act 2009 regarding schools run by minority groups. “Such schools have the authority to administer and produce standards of excellence but if they are against the rights of a child, they are going against fundamental rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution,” he said.
If a child is rejected in the screening test how will it be possible to adjudge the capability of the child to be a student of the said schools and on which ground are the school authorities selecting students, these are controversial areas, said Pradipkumar.
He also blamed the dismal state of education in Government schools and said that though the Government sanctions huge amounts of money, such schools do not even run or function properly, leading for a rush for private and mission schools. Citing the Annual Survey of Education report 2011, he said that though there are a total of 3878 schools both Government and private, 71.1% were enrolled in 922 private schools and 27.1% enrollment in 2956 Government schools.