In a significant development, the Director of Primary Education, Sharad Gosavi, has issued a circular clarifying that schools in Pune cannot expel students enrolled under the Right to Education (RTE) Act after Class 8. This directive comes in response to reports of certain schools preparing to remove students who had studied from Class 1 to Class 8 under the RTE Act. The circular emphasizes the importance of preserving students’ continuity in education and their mental well-being.
The circular specifies that no school is allowed to force RTE students to receive school leaving certificates, especially if the students and their parents are willing to pay the fees required by the institution for continued education beyond Class 8. The circular aims to prevent any undue pressure on students, ensuring that they are not denied admission or forced to drop out if they choose to pursue education beyond the eighth grade.
Gosavi has instructed all education officers to issue strict directives to schools that have admitted students under the RTE 25% quota, urging them to comply with the circular’s guidelines at the local level.
The intervention by the Director of Primary Education comes after a Pune school sent letters to parents, notifying them that RTE students would be given school leaving certificates upon completing Class 8. The Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) raised objections, protested against the school, and filed a complaint with the state director of education. Subsequently, the circular was released to ensure the rights and continuity of education for RTE students.
The recent amendment to the RTE Act by the state education department has caused concerns among parents. According to the amendment, if an unsubsidized English-medium school is within one kilometer of a government or subsidized school, the unsubsidized school will not be eligible for RTE admission. This means that after Class 8, students may need to find an alternative school, as schools are only eligible for fee reimbursements up to Class 8 under the RTE Act.
