Government to pay for reservation?

Updated on: 06 January,2011 08:26 AM IST |
Vatsala Shrangi |

While the mad rush continues as parents try to get their kids admitted to the best schools in the city, one issue that continues to hang in the balance is the effects of implementation of the reservation of seats for children from economically weaker sections (EWS).

Single file: Parents form a long queue for nursery admission forms at
Springdales Sr. Secondary School at Pusa Road. Pic/Rajeev Tyagi

While institutes have clarified that they are fully prepared to go with the quota system, they have also indicated that they might have to pass on the resulting financial burden onto students from the general category. As per the Right to Education (RTE), every public and private school must have 25 per cent of seats reserved for the EWS. Finally, after much confusion the Education Ministry of the Delhi government is considering bearing the tuition fee for EWS category children.

"Even government schools have nursery education wings. But, a majority of parents even those from the underprivileged sections want their children to get educated in private schools. The government is mulling over bearing the basic tuition fees of EWS students and keeping a minimum bracket for the entire fee structure for children falling in this category," said an official of the Ministry of Education.