Not a single class, but state has to pay Rs 300 cr RTE fee

Chennai

This year, more than 80,000 children belonging to the disadvantaged groups were admitted to more than 6,000 private schools for LKG and Class 1 across the state under the RTE Act.

Accordingly, the State has also allocated Rs 304.14 crore for fee reimbursement in 2020-2021. However, except for Class 10 and Class 12, the schools still remain closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Online courses could not be conducted for students enrolled under RTE not only considering their age but also most of them do not have access to internet for virtual sessions.

A senior official from the School Education Department, seeking anonymity, told DT Next that as per the RTE Act once a kid got the admission card under RTE, it is the government’s responsibility to reimburse the fees for that particular student.

Stating that under the RTE scheme, the Centre and state would share the fee in a 60:40 ratio, he said “though the schools were not opened for the children, who were admitted in the RTE, as per the rule the fees have to reimbursed.”

However, the official said that the authorities would definitely consult the Centre on the fees reimbursement whether it could be paid partly.

Pointing out that only just about two months left for the academic year to be over, the official also hinted that chances are bleak for the reopening of schools especially for kindergartens. “Unless restoration of total normalcy, conducting classes in the schools for these kids is unlikely,” he added.

KR Nandhakumar, general secretary of Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, Matriculation, Higher Secondary, and CBSE Schools Association, said that since most of the institutions have paid the salaries for the teachers, the government should reimburse the fees for the students, who were admitted under RTE.

“Many schools have been financially affected due to lockdown and non-payment of fees and therefore, the RTE reimbursement would be useful at this juncture,” he added.

Echoing similar views, DC Elangovan, secretary, Federation of Associations of Private Schools in Tamil Nadu, also said apart from reimbursing the fees this year, the government should also clear the pending RTE dues.

However, PB Prince Gajendra Babu General Secretary, State Platform for Common School System - Tamil Nadu (SPCSS-TN) said “as the schools were closed since March and it was also not possible to conduct online classes for kindergarten kids, it was not fit for the government to pay the fees.”