PUNE: Parents of students admitted in the first online round of admissions to free seats in Std I in private schools across the state under the Right to Education (RTE) Act years ago are anxious now.
They don’t know what will happen if they are unable to pay the high fees for their wards when they go to Std IX in June.
Parents want the government to help them till the students are in Std X. Several representations have gone to commissioner of education Suraj Mandhare who said he will send the requests to the state government for consideration.
Autorickshaw driver Mangesh Chinchkar from Thitevasti in Kharadi hopes that chief minister Eknath Shinde, would be considerate enough and help RTE students who will move to Std IX this year.
He said his earnings are just enough to feed his family of four. “Till Std VIII, my daughter got free education in a CBSE school. But the school fees are nearly Rs 40,000 per year for Std IX. I cannot afford the fees. I am planning to request the school for some concession and pay the fees in instalments. Even so, I will need to borrow money,” he added.
Tempo driver Jeevan Ramtirthe from Karvenagar said his dream is to educate his son well so that he can rise in life.
“He may not be the best student in his class, but he is hard-working, and his teachers know that. Till Std VIII, his education in the CISCE board school was free. He has been promoted to Std IX and the school fees are Rs 82,000. The school has reduced it to Rs 50,000 per year which is fair. But even this amount is huge for me. I cannot send him to a PMC school because the quality of education is poor. Secondly, my son won’t be able to adjust to the curriculum or the setting. We hope the state government will keep RTE seats up to Std X,” he added.
Despite facing discrimination in the school, parents said that they were focused on their wards’ education. Her younger son is in Std IV and has consistently scored the highest marks in his class. But the school does not give him any awards. “Instead, it goes to other non-RTE students because the criteria they said was the overall personality that matters,” a parent added.
Jyotsna Gaikwad, who lives in a PMC chawl near Tilak Road, recounted her experience. A month ago, the school where her daughter studies in Std VIII, called a meeting of all RTE parents like her.
“We were told that the performance of the RTE students was below par and even if we wish to continue in the school by paying the full fees, they will decide whether to keep our children or give a leaving certificate as their reputation was at stake,” she added.
She said she wanted to ask the school’s management how, despite eight years of being in the same school, the teachers were unable to improve the quality of RTE students.
“It is the failure of their teachers and methods. Even if it is humiliating, a good education in a good school is the only way for our children to do well in life. We can put up with their slights, if they can teach our children for free till Std X,” Gaikwad, whose earns about Rs 15,000 per month, said.
Discovered on: 2023-04-10 00:09:00
Source: Rte: Parents demand RTE seats up to Std X in Maharashtra’s private schools …
