Education Department raises EWS reimbursement for two sessions

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, December 6

The Education Department, UT, has enhanced the reimbursement of fee of students from EWS and disadvantaged groups for the sessions 2013-14 and 2014-15.

From Rs 750 per child, the reimbursement for the academic session 2013-14 will now be Rs 1,196 per student and for 2014-15, Rs 1,370. 

Section 12 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, specifies reimbursement to eligible unaided private recognised schools.

However, there is a rider in the conditions laid down by the Education Department. If a school is already under an obligation to provide free education as it has received any land, building, equipment or other facilities either free of cost or at concessional rate, it shall not be entitled for reimbursement to the extent of such obligation.

Also, the District Education Officer (DEO) will examine other issues, including charging of nominal fee from the students and admitting EWS students on 15 per cent seats.

“The issue of nominal fee is yet to be decided. The deliberations are going on,” said DEO Anujit Kaur. She added, “Most schools have got land on concessional rate. Their agreements are with the Estate Office.”

Private schools react

•  “It should be our prerogative to decide how much the nominal fee is. It should be 80 per cent of the total fee we charge,” said HS Mamik, president, Independent Schools Association. He added, “Why have the rates been fixed for just two years? Why cannot the Education Department decide the rates for the sessions till this date?”
•  “The increase is welcome. But the cost of student is much more. We have installed over 300 CCTV cameras in our school. We are paying salaries to teachers on a par with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations. The government must keep revising the rates,” said Reema Deewan, Principal, Delhi Public School, Sector 40.