The South Delhi Municipal Corporation’s Education Committee has taken up responsibility to create public awareness around the provision in the Right to Education (RTE) Act calling for 25 per cent reservation in private schools for children from disadvantaged groups and economically weaker sections of society. The five-day awareness campaign which has been started in collaboration with the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) coincides with the notified calendar of admission (January 1-15) during which applicants have to procure and submit Common Admission Forms from private schools.
The RTE mandates private schools to reserve 25 per cent seats at the entry level (Nursery, KG or Class 1) for economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. Under the EWS quota children whose parents having an annual income less than Rs.1 lakh are eligible to apply.
The drive which will be carried out through special road shows and distribution of information pamphlets is to make poor people aware of their rights and about the 25 per cent reservation scheme. “There is a lack of awareness about this reservation under the RTE among poor people and so with the help of Centre for Civil Society we have planned to run an awareness campaign,” said SDMC Education Committee Chairman Satish Upadhyay. “I call upon the support of all the SDMC councillors to take it forward in their respective areas,” he added.
“We are glad to provide support to this initiative by providing a helpline number 9899485667. This can be used to gain information by parents,” said Abhishek Bhattacharya of CCS.
