Every recognised school, including private ones, is bound to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Central Information Commission has said.
The CIC order gains significance as it gives private education sector employees, especially teachers, a fighting chance to seek transparency on any calls made by the school managements.
The decision is based on an appeal filed by Sadhana Dixit, a former teacher of Jindal Public School, who was refused copies of her service book on the ground that it was exempt from the RTI law.
In a recent order, Information Commissioner Professor M. Sridhar Acharyulu said the school, whether a public authority or private body, has a duty to comply with the regulations of the Delhi Education Act and maintain records, which in turn gives the employee an inherent right to access information on those records.
Hence, the school is directed to discharge its obligation under law by furnishing the information sought by the appellant [Ms. Dixit].
