Govt told to pay uniform, textbooks fee of RTE students

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court recently directed the School Education Department to pay for uniforms and textbooks for the students who join private schools under the Right To Education Act.

Hearing a writ petition filed by a student M Suveathan, represented by his father P Maharaja, Justice M Dhandapani said that the Right To Education (RTE) Act has stated that the state government should bear not only the tuition fees of the students, who are included in the 25 per cent reservation but also the fees for the materials required for education.

“It is the duty of the government to pay the fees for the uniform and textbooks for the students enrolled under RTE Act to the concerned private schools. The government should pay the expenses of all the students enrolled under the Act to the concerned private schools,” the court pointed out.

Further, the High Court directed the Principal Secretary, Department of School Education to issue appropriate guidelines to the authorities in this regard within two weeks that not to charge any fee to the students who are enrolled under the Act.

However, the court directed that the private schools to demand the same (fee for students) from the state government and ordered the Little Flower Matriculation School to immediately provide the required uniform and textbooks to the petitioner.

Suveathan, a student of Little Flower Matriculation School, Gudiyattam, Vellore, who got admission under the RTE Act, was asked to pay Rs 11,977 for uniform and textbooks. Assailing this, the student moved the High Court.