Schools file petition against implementation of EWS rule

In response to the UT Education department’s notice to schools that have failed to admit 15 per cent students from the economically weaker sections (EWS)...

In response to the UT Education department’s notice to schools that have failed to admit 15 per cent students from the economically weaker sections (EWS), the Independent Schools Association (ISA), Chandigarh, has filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The decision has been taken under the EWS norms set by the department.

In the petition, the association has sought relief from the court that the Administration as well as the UT Education department should not interfere with the management of private-unaided schools. The association has also demanded the quashing of the demand for reserved funds under the EWS category.

Talking to Newsline, DS Bedi, president of the association and principal of Shivalik Public School, said: “We have filed the petition on behalf of over 30 schools, which are members of the association. These schools were allotted land by the Administration at market rates on leasehold basis prior to the launch of the scheme known as Allotment of Land to Educational Institutions (Schools). We did not make any request for concessions in the rates then. The department cannot force us to abide by the 15 per cent rule when no such provision was mentioned in the allotment letter.”

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According to Bedi, the schools are objecting to the ‘highhandedness’ of the Department for making it mandatory for even the unaided schools to give admission to students from EWS. “We do not intend to deny these children the right to education. But the department should also help us in this matter. We do not get any aid from the department. The authorities should provide some financial support to schools if they want the norms to be followed,” he rued.

Bedi added that the schools will abide by the decision given by the court as the association wants the issue to be resolved amicably.

An official from the department said that while some of the schools, which were sent notices, have furnished fresh data pertaining to the rule, others have moved court. The case will come up for hearing on Thursday.

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