Modern School asks EWS children to pay Rs 67,000 in fees
According to the provisions of the Right to Education Act 2009, all private schools in Delhi are required to reserve 25% of seats for EWS and disadvantaged group (DG) students during admissions at the entry level, and compulsorily provide them free education till the completion of class VIII.
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A legal notice has been issued to Modern School Barakhamba Road by advocate Ashok Agarwal on behalf of 14 class XI students who were admitted to the school against EWS seats.Students who had been admitted to Modern School Barakhamba Road against the economically weaker section (EWS) quota and are in class XI now have been asked to pay over Rs 67,000 in fees for the first term of this academic year, prompting the parents to get a legal notice issued to the school authorities.
According to the provisions of the Right to Education Act 2009, all private schools in Delhi are required to reserve 25% of seats for EWS and disadvantaged group (DG) students during admissions at the entry level, and compulsorily provide them free education till the completion of class VIII.
Modern School is one of the 400 schools in the city which are built on land given to them by public land-owning agencies such as the Delhi Development Authority. These schools had been allotted land at concessional rates on the condition that they would provide free education to EWS children. The Delhi Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, states that these schools “shall continue to fulfil their obligation for providing free elementary education and till completion of secondary/ senior secondary education, as the case may be…”
A legal notice has been issued to the school by advocate Ashok Agarwal on behalf of 14 class XI students who were admitted to the school against EWS seats.
The parents of these children received messages from the school earlier this month asking them to clear pending fees amounting to Rs 67,385 for the first term of the 2022-2023 academic session, from April to July.
Principal Vijay Datta did not respond to repeated calls and messages seeking a comment.
What rules say
Schools built on land given to them by public land-owning agencies at concessional rates must provide free education to EWS children. According to the Delhi Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, these schools “shall continue to fulfil their obligation for providing free elementary education and till completion of secondary/ senior secondary education, as the case may be...”
When contacted, a Delhi government official from the education department said: “This is not allowed. We will take cognizance of this and the school will be issued a notice. Schools set up on public land have an obligation.”
The parent of one of the students said this is the first time they have received a request for fees from the school. “My child has been studying in the school since nursery, and even in classes IX and X there was no such request, but we received this message around 10 days ago. The fee is not affordable for me, I work as a tailor,” said the parent.
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