Redesigning RTE? Karnataka May Scrap School Fee Reimbursement For RTE Students

Bengaluru may stop implementing one of the key provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 – fee reimbursement for underprivileged students enrolled in private schools under the 25 per cent quota, reported the Times of India. This will put the burden on private schools.

A proposal to review the 25 per cent RTE quota in private schools is set to be up for discussion by the state cabinet. Notably, the RTE Act which the Siddaramaiah government is set to review was enacted by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait said the chief focus behind the re-design of the RTE is strengthening government schools. “There is a belief that private schools are thriving at the cost of government schools. We need to set things right. The policy is almost ready and it will be placed before the next cabinet meeting,” the Times of India report quoted Sait as saying.

Ever since the RTE was implemented in Karnataka in 2012, 1,778 government schools have been closed while 3,189 private institutions have come up.