TN BJP unit urges DMK govt to ensure transparent admission process under RTE Act

CHENNAI: State BJP unit on Wednesday urged the ruling DMK government to monitor whether the 25 per cent seats under the Right to Education Act (RTE) are truly filled by socioeconomic basis or not.

According to ANS Prasad, State BJP spokesperson, due to the failure of the state government to release the tuition fee for the private schools under the RTE Act in due time, some private matriculation schools are charging tuition fee from students who join under the 25 per cent quota of RTE Act and in many schools, the school management is forcing the students to pay the tuition fee.

"This has caused distress to parents of socioeconomically oppressed students. To avoid this, the Tamil Nadu government must pay the full tuition fees for the students who join under the RTE Act every year in due time without fail, " Prasad said in a statement.

Pointing out the new admission rules of RTE Act, the BJP spokesperson urged the Chief Minister and School Education Minister to intervene in the admission and announce that even if there are government schools within one kilometer radius, parents can apply to any private school of their choice.

"If government schools are well run with all basic amenities, parents will enroll their wards there. But, parents are approaching private schools because they feel that government-run schools are substandard," he said, adding that the State government should monitor the admission process under RTE Act whether the seats are really filled by following the norms or not.

He also urged the School Education department to take stringent action against private schools that do not enroll the wards under the RTE Act and do not provide free education to them.