HYDERABAD: The state government is planning to grade all private schools in the state on the basis of facilities available in them to implement the 25 reservation to poor children as per the Right to Education (RTE) Act in private schools following the Supreme Court verdict.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, special chief secretary to SSA Chandana Khan said most of the schools in the state do not have the required facilities as per the RTE. Hence it has been proposed to give grading to all private schools in the state by constituting an expert committee.
Mandatory facilities such as drinking water and separate toilets for girls are still a distant dream for students studying in government schools. Absence of basic facilities in schools pose a hurdle for proper implementation of the RTE.
The children would be given admission in those private schools having facilities according to Article 19 of the RTE only, she said.
It may be noted that the government has enacted a law which, among other stipulations, compels all private schools to enrol 25 per cent children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged communities.
When the government enacted RTE in 2010, they gave three years time to the existing schools to upgrade the facilities according to the RTE, she said adding that the deadline would end on March 31, 2013.
Chandana Khan said an outlay of Rs 4,745 crore has been approved for SSA for this year.
Under SSA, the officials will take up various developmental works like opening of 435 new primary schools, establishing 27 hostels in major towns, making transport arrangements for 48,225 children living in habitations where there are no schools, supporting nearly one lakh madarasa children with an outlay of Rs 29.5 crore, providing in service training to nearly three lakh teachers, construction of 21,000 additional classrooms, boundary walls to 1,961 schools and 4,997 toilets to children with special needs, organising education fortnight in the second week of June and providing sanitary napkins to 7.5 lakh girl students.