All’s fine with Pre-Primary Act: AG

Though the Catholic institutions had objected to the 20 per cent ceiling on management quota, the government move to up it to 50 per cent is not likely to satisfy them. They are against any kind of government control. Their argument is that as pre-primary centres do not receive any government aid, the statecannot not frame any laws pertaining to their working.

The other amendments that the government will make in the Act include recognition to sibling rights, preference to children of residents having contractual obligation with the school authorities, preference to children of staff members and preference to students already studying in the nursery section of the school.

With the government bent on implementing the Act, its battle with Catholic Schools seems to be heading for a showdown. Ever since the government’s declaration last year about the implementation of the Act, Catholic institutions have been opposing it. “The Act fails to acknowledge constitutional assurances of absolute freedom for the minority institutions in its establishment and administration,” they have alleged. While the catholic institutions have already approached high court to seek redressal, recently, even some non-catholic linguistic minority institutions openly objected to the Act’s proposed amendment formula that restrictsmanagement quota (read minority quota) to just 50 per cent of the total seats.