Telangana wants amendment in Right to Education Act

Hyderabad: The state government will ask the Centre to amend the Right to Education Act to make the 25 per cent quota for poor students in private schools optional. The mandatory quota, which came into force in 2012, has not been implemented.

With the High Court recently ordering the state government to implement the Act from the 2016 academic year, the government, which is citing lack of funds, wants the Centre to relax the norm.

The government contends that there are a sufficient number of state-run schools and there is no need to admit students under the RTE by spending money on private schools.

"The quota will be applicable to students from Class I to VIII. Those who take admissions in Class I this year will be eligible for quota and the financial burden in the first year will be Rs 150 crore,” said a senior official of the school education department. In eight years, it will grow to Rs 1,200 crore a year, he said.

Sources said Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, who holds the education portfolio, took up the issue with Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who suggested that the government write to the Centre.

“The government has already decided to seek amendment to the RTE Act to do away with the no detention system till Class VIII on the ground that it was leading to drop in education standards in schools as students are getting promoted to higher classes even if they failed annual exams. Now, one more amendment seeking RTE quota exemption will be put forth before the Centre,” said the official.