Implementation of EWS: Deadlock continues

The deadlock continued,despite the Panjab and Haryana High Court (HC) suggesting that the Administration reach a consensus with the private schools over the issue and submit a report on Tuesday.

While the Administration reportedly directed the schools,in a meeting with school heads,on Monday,to provide concession to the students in all classes,right from pre-nursery to Class XII,the private schools remained adamant on their stand of confining the concession only at the entry level.

According to sources in the Administration,the land allotment rule mandates that all private schools which have been allotted land after 1996 have attained the plots at concessional rates and they need to provide 15 per cent concession to children belonging to the poor strata of the society (EWS category) accordingly.

All the 73 private schools,on the contrary,in unison today averred that the land allotment rule lack ‘clarity’.

“The allotment letters issued to different schools differ in the percentage of EWS quota. For some schools it has been directed to be 5 per cent,for others it is 15 per cent. Besides,there are many other schools,which have been allotted land after 1996,yet their allotment letters have no mention of the condition,” said one of the school heads,on condition of anonymity.

The case is scheduled for hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday. UT Education Secretary V K Singh informed that the minutes of today’s meeting,along with the latest status with regard to admissions made by private schools under the EWS category,will be submitted in the High Court on Tuesday.

Singh also informed that another meeting will be held between the two sides for finalising the reimbursement amount to be provided to the schools against 25 per cent reservation under Right to Education Act 2009 and the child mapping survey data.