The parent of an Upper Kindergarten student admitted to a city school under the reservation clause of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, has alleged that the school was discriminating against the child by denying transport facility.
While authorities at Nirman International Public School, near Ullal Main Road, have attributed it to “shortage of buses and overcrowding” and denied that they were targeting select children, the parent who did not wish to be named has alleged that only children admitted under the RTE quota were not being provided bus facility, though they were willing to bear the cost.
“The school has refused to provide us transport facility stating that the school is in the neighbourhood and the child can come by walk. What kind of excuse is that? The school bus passes our house, why can’t the bus stop to pick our child? This is blatant discrimination.”
Responding to the allegation, Mohan Kumar, secretary of the school, said that the school bus facility was cancelled for several students and not just to those admitted under the RTE quota. “We are having shortage of vans and the vehicles are overcrowded. We have applied for loan and as soon as our loan is sanctioned we will resume our bus services to all of them.”
Nagasimha G. Rao, convener of the RTE Task Force, said that the complaint was also filed with the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights as the school had “strategically decided to cut facilities for students under the RTE quota”.
The parent who has filed a complaint in June 2013 with the Block Education Officer, North 1, said that no action was initiated. Meanwhile, BEO North 1, M. Gopalkrishna said that he had directed the school to look into the matter and provide transport.
