NEW DELHI: At least 10 students, who were admitted under the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category of the RTE Act at St Lawrence Convent in Geeta Colony, were allegedly removed from the school. Their parents approached Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, on Thursday. A school official told this newspaper that the students were expelled, citing the guidelines of the Right To Education Act, according to which, ‘compulsory education’ casts an obligation to provide elementary education to children in the 6-14 age group.
“These are all 14-year-olds who have just completed their Class 8 from our school. We have fulfilled our duty by providing them education till Class 8,” she told this newspaper.However, Supreme Court Advocate Ashok Agarwal, said the school is built on land allotted by DDA and as per Delhi School Education Rules, the schools on government land are mandated to provide free education to the EWS students till Class 12.
“We are going to file a petition against the unlawful expulsion of these students in the High Court next week and are hopeful of winning this case. Earlier also, students have been expelled unlawfully this way and we won our case against school authorities, who were compelled to give admission to kids beyond the age of 14, as their institutions are built on government land,” Agarwal said.
The parents said an assistant to Sisodia, accepted their written complaint but they were unable to meet him personally.“My daughter is completely shaken by her expulsion. She said she would commit suicide if we don’t send her to the same school. What do I do? How will I pay such an exorbitant school fee?” the mother of one of the expelled students said.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal said that the RTE Act needed amendments to provide compulsory education to students, admitted under the EWS category till Class 12 in all private schools. “Education Minister (Prakash Javadekar) promised to take this issue forward to bring an amendment but later changed his mind,” he said.