At the meeting, he said: "We received several complaints from parents about the fee hike in schools. We want to make it clear that we can control the hike only in primary schools, and not pre primary sections. Since the RTE is applicable from standard I, and the state can intervene only in primary sections, therefore the 25% quota should also be reserved for standard I and above."
Previously, Maharashtra's education department stated that 25% quota admission under the Right to Education (RTE) Act would be from the entry level – which could range from nursery to standard 1. However, education minister Vinod Tawde has clarified that RTE education is applicable only for children between ages 6 and 14 years.
Till recently, the RTE quota admissions were being given to children in pre-primary sections in schools whose entry level was pre-primary.
However, Tawde on Thursday held a meeting with education officials, and said that admissions under the RTE quota should be for std 1 and above.
At the meeting, he said: "We received several complaints from parents about the fee hike in schools. We want to make it clear that we can control the hike only in primary schools, and not pre primary sections. Since the RTE is applicable from standard I, and the state can intervene only in primary sections, therefore the 25% quota should also be reserved for standard I and above."
Tawde also said that the state would pay the reimbursements of RTE quota admission to schools for standard I, and not for pre-primary sections. "Moreover, the committee was appointed by the previous government for deciding the fee structure for pre-primary sections. The government has received the report from this committee, and we will soon take action on this," he added.
The education department will soon come out with a circular on the same.
The schools have been furious about RTE quota admissions being sent to them for pre-primary as well as primary sections. However, the minister's statement will now compel unaided schools to ask for fees from parents whose children have been admitted in pre-primary sections, under the quota.
SC Kedia, secretary of Unaided Schools Forum said: "A month ago, we filed a case in the high court, asking for reimbursements for children who had been given admission in pre-primary sections under the RTE quota."
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