Indian Express: Sukhbir Sewach: Haryana: Thursday, August 04, 2022.
Under the Cheerag scheme, government school students whose parents have an annual verified income of less than Rs 1.8 lakh can enroll in private schools from Class II to XII. We explain the concerns and controversy around the Haryana govt's initiative.
Senior politicians and teachers’ bodies in Haryana have raised questions on the government’s Cheerag scheme, which was recently launched to offer “free education” to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students of government schools in “budget” private schools. The Indian Express explains the Cheerag scheme, its objectives, and the concerns raised.
What is Haryana’s Cheerag scheme?
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s government recently launched the “Chief Minister Equal Education Relief, Assistance and Grant (Cheerag)” scheme. It was introduced in place of a similar scheme launched by Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s government in 2007 under Rule 134 A of the Haryana School Education Rules, 2003.
Under the Cheerag scheme, government school students whose parents have an annual verified income of less than Rs 1.8 lakh can enroll in private schools from Class II to XII. The government will reimburse Rs 700 per student from Classes II to V, Rs 900 per student from Classes VI to VIII, and Rs 1,100 per student from Classes IX to XII.
As many as 533 “budget” private schools – mostly in villages and small towns — applied to offer seats to EWS students under the Cheerag scheme. However, the authorities found only 381 schools eligible due to different technical reasons.
These 381 private schools offered 24,987 seats for EWS students from government schools. However, only 1,665 students have preferred to opt for the scheme, which is just 6.66 per cent of the total offered seats.
Officials told The Indian Express many students have chosen against private schools due to the various facilities offered at government schools; the distance of private schools; and because ‘good’ private schools have not participated in the scheme.
What are the concerns over Haryana’s Cheerag scheme?
Haryana Vidyalaya Adhyapak Sangh, a body of government school teachers, is not impressed with the Cheerag scheme and has already staged protests against it across the state. The union leaders have apprehensions that the scheme may be aimed at encouraging private schools at the cost of government schools.
Former president of the union, Wazir Singh said, “Instead of offering free education in private schools, the government should strengthen infrastructure at government schools and fill the vacant posts of teachers. As per our information, there are nearly 85,000 teachers, including guest teachers, in government schools, while nearly 50,000 posts are lying vacant.”
“If the government continues to reimburse private schools in lieu of admission of government school students, one day, the government schools will turn empty,” Singh added.
He also claimed as many as 90 per cent of the students of government schools fall under the Cheerag scheme which is meant for those with parents who have an annual income of Rs 1.8 lakh.
How has the issue dominated social media?
In a video clip which has been shared widely on Twitter, a woman while referring to Haryana’s scheme says, “If a student goes to the government school, then he or she has to pay Rs 500 monthly, while if the student opts for a private school, he or she will get Rs 1,100 monthly from the government.”
Several senior leaders of the Opposition, including Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Sing and Haryana Congress MLA Kiran Choudhry, have raised questions on the intentions of the BJP-JJP government while referring to the video clipping.
However, state education department officials say education in Haryana’s government schools is almost free and the woman in the video clip seems to be talking about the government’s ‘Model Sanskriti Schools’, where a “nominal fee” is charged from the students.
According to the government, some schools have been developed as ‘Model Sanskriti Schools’ to bring qualitative improvement in education. Officials also say that Rs 1,100 will not be given to the students for opting for the scheme, but will be reimbursed to the private schools for offering admission to EWS students.
What does the government say?
A senior officer told The Indian Express, “The Cheerag scheme is optional; those who were willing to go to private schools have gone. Those who wanted to stay in government schools can continue their studies there. The students might have had limited options, since they could only go to those schools that offered the seats. If the students would like to continue in government schools, it speaks well for the education department too.”
CM Khattar recently said, “From Classes I to XII, no fee is charged at government schools. From Classes I to VIII, uniforms, textbooks, workbooks, stationery, school bags and lunch are being provided free of cost. In English medium schools, bag-free Model Sanskriti Schools, there is a provision of free education for students whose parents’ annual verified income is less than Rs 1.80 lakh. Nominal monthly contribution is taken from the children of families having an annual income above Rs 1.80 lakh in the state.”
Officials also claim the Cheerag scheme is meant only for a few years, till a scheme under the Right to Education (RTE) Act replaces it. The RTE Act has provisions to provide admission up to 25 per cent of private schools’ strength to EWS families and Scheduled Castes for Classes I to VIII without any expenses. Under the RTI Act, admissions can be done only in Class 1 in private schools to get the relief of free education.
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