Edn Deptt issues notices to 134 schools in distt over RTE norms


* Process for admissions under RTE Act to go online
By Kartik Lokhande 
Education Department (Primary), Zilla Parishad, has issued notices to 134 schools in the district and has sought explanation from them within seven days regarding meeting the norms under Right to Education (RTE) Act. These schools include those governed by local bodies as well as private aided and unaided ones.
“We have sought explanations from these schools on whether they have got all 10 infrastructure indicators as prescribed under RTE Act,” said Anil Kolhe, Acting Deputy Education Officer (Primary), ZP. These 10 important indicators include pucca/kuchha building owned by schools or rented building, designated room for Headmaster for office-cum-store, classroom for each teacher, ramp to facilitate movement of special children, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facility, kitchen shed for mid-day meals and separate room for cooking, boundary wall, and play ground.
According to Kolhe, these 134 schools include those found with less than 50 per cent of attendance of students compared to those on rolls, during the rolls verification drive conducted in 2011. Then, he recalled, approval of 79 schools was revoked. However, the decision was challenged by the managements of the schools concerned. The court had restored approval of these schools. But, these and some more schools were not meeting infrastructure norms under RTE Act. Hence, Kolhe said, notices have been issued to 134 such schools.
These schools include 60 private aided oones, 22 permanently unaided (mostly English medium convents), 16 run by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), 14 governed by Zilla Parishad, 12 private unaided, and two run by Kamptee Municipal Council. Besides, these also include eight schools where verification of students on rolls was not conducted but were found to be lagging in meeting RTE norms. “The list does not include prominent schools as they were found having necessary infrastructure,” said Kolhe.
Once explanations are received from these schools, Kolhe added, a committee would be constructed to conduct scrutiny. In case of schools found not meeting the norms under RTE Act, proposals for revoking approval would be submitted to Director (Education), who will then forward the same to the Government for further decision, he said.
Meanwhile, Kolhe said, the process of admissions under RTE Act will be conducted online from February. The appointment of service provider for conducting online process is likely to be finalised by the Government by February, he added. 

(Published in The Hitavada CityLine on January 2, 2015)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chanda boy Dr Vipin Itankar is UPSC topper in State

Hinganghat: Here rests the great surveyor of India...

Eknath Ranade, the man with ‘Rock’ solid determination