Times of
India: Nashik: Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
A city-based school has allegedly admitted 85
students from its senior kg section to standard I under the Right to Education
(RTE) Act 2009. The school has a total of 100 seats under the RTE.
Social activist Sandip Adhav managed to procure
the details through Right To Information (RTI) and government portal. "The
school filled 85 seats on its own without informing the parents. They
apparently wanted to take fees from these parents as well as take grants from
the government. Till the draw of lots on April 20 no one knew what was going
on," said Adhav.
"After April 20, parents were called and
alerted about the development. But these parents are well-established. The
parents said they had not filled the forms. The admission is also given
distance-wise and the distances from home to school has been changed. For a
distance of 6-7 km they have mentioned 0.5 km. Details like address, birth
date, income in the form were filled by the school," he added.
Unfortunately, the government has given the
authority to the principal to verify the certificates of proof and it is not
necessary to upload the certificates. Hence, the school took advantage of it.
"If the government would have verified the certificates, then this would
not have happened. In any case, this is duping the government," said
Adhav.
Five-six common phone numbers have been mentioned
in the forms against the contact number of the parents and these numbers belong
to the school staff. Adhav said he and his volunteers had done on field survey
and found out that 85 parents lived in plush flats and bungalows.
Sarika Salve, whose five-year-old son did not get
admission under the RTE despite being eligible, said, "We are from the SC
category. My husband is working in a private firm and I am a housewife. We live
within a distance of one kilometre from the school and we are eligible for
admission under the RTE. But even after the fifth draw of lots our son did not
get admitted. It is very frustrating. The school is misleading the government
and those responsible for it should be severely punished."
Jagdish Bodke, a parent who is a businessman and
whose child has been admitted under the RTE, said "If my child is not
eligible for admission under RTE then why should he be admitted. I did not
submit any documents. I have not asked for it. I am ready to pay the fees. I
was not even aware that the school admitted my child under RTE. I can educate
my child and it is bad that the school is cheating the government in my name.
They should admit needy students."
He added, "My son had already studied nursery
before coming here. But the school asked us to admit him in nursery which we
agreed. Then he studied in KG and the school admitted him under RTE in standard
I."
He also asked the school to give in writing about
his son's admission under the RTE.
Administrative officer of the civic body's
education department, Nitin Upasani said, "We have issued two notices to
the school. First, we asked them to submit all RTE records. The headmaster said
that he was on a holiday. Secondly, we told him that the headmaster could not
go on leave without permission. We asked him to submit the records on
Wednesday. If he does not come we will send an inquiry team." The principal
of the school refused to comment on the issue saying that he was out of
Maharashtra.
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