In a legal notice sent to the chief minister, education ministry and directorate of education, Forum for Fairness in Education, an NGO, has demanded that the state government act immediately against private unaided schools conducting pre-admissions tests and interviews
In a legal notice sent to the chief minister, education ministry and directorate of education, Forum for Fairness in Education, an NGO, has demanded that the state government act immediately against private unaided schools conducting pre-admissions tests and interviews. Stating that taking interviews of any form either of parent or children as well as conducting written tests is illegal, the NGO has observed that more than 85 per cent schools have conducted written as well as oral tests of students which is contravening to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act.
Jayant Jain, president of the NGO Forum for Fairness in Education said that most interviews were framed in such a way that they were done to gauge the financial status of the family and their paying capacity. "Firstly the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act clearly specifies that all admissions should be done on lottery system only. And if that is the case, then what is the need to ask what make of car they own, parents' educational qualifications, average salary, whether the family can afford foreign vacations? This clearly is done to help school select families that are well to do and from professional backgrounds," said Jain.
In the legal notice, the NGO has also observed that most schools ask for a donation of Rs 20,000 to Rs 20 lakh for school development, building fund among others, expenses which is also not legally permitted. "The law requires parents to lodge a complaint which is impossible. Naturally if a parent complains then his child would be expelled or harassed in school and they don't want this to happen. So parents quietly pay up but government has to do something about it," said Jain. He also complained that even after approaching the concerned government authorities with complaints, including school education secretary, they refused to intervene or take action stating that the pre-primary section neither comes under State Government nor under the civic body.
The NGO has demanded that the government set up a committee to inspect how many schools conducted pre-admission interviews and take action against such schools. If not done within 15 days, the notice threatens to file public interest litigation in the high court.
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