IT News
Imphal, June 22:
Democratic Student’s Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) today urged the government of Manipur to reserve 25% of the total seats for marginalized students in all private schools in the state under the Right to Education Act.
Joining the campaign by the Coordinating Committee on Disturbance Free Educational Zone Demand, the president of DESAM, Leishangthem Lamyanba said that enrolment in government schools has come down to just 26 to 13% in the state of Manipur as per a report by ASER. This showed the total failure of the government schools in providing quality education and thus many parents and guardians, irrespective of the economic conditions today prefer private schools.
As per the Right to Education (RTE) Act, all private schools should provide free and compulsory education to 25% of the total seats to poor and marginalized students, Lamyanba said. He said that the government should implement the RTE provision to provide free education to the poor students in all private schools from this current session as government schools have failed.
It may be mentioned that the RTE provisions for ensuring free education to 25% of students of the total seats, among others, have not been implemented in the state of Manipur. President of the United Assn. of Recognised Schools of Manipur (UARSOM), L. Joy Khuman had said that private schools could not provide 25% seats free education to the poor students as the government is not ready to reimburse the students’ fee. During a penal discussion, L. Joy had said that as per the RTE Act, the government should reimburse the fees for the 25% of students for that private schools are providing free education.
Today’s protest by the Coordinating Committee on Disturbance Free Educational Zone Demand was staged in front of Standard Robarth Higher Secondary School. Students form a human chain with placards with slogans demanding the implementation of the RTE Act at private schools, to make educational institution free from any form of intervention including corruption and violence, and also to ensure a conducive atmosphere at all educational institutions.
