Private schools threaten indefinite agitation if demands not met

Tribune News Service

Ambala, May 7

Private school owners have threatened to go on indefinite strike in the state if their demands were not met. Members of the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) have sought education vouchers for EWS students and implementation of the RTE Act.

Kulbhushan Sharma, president of NISA, said, “The BJP government is following the wrong policies of the previous Congress government. Educating children is government’s duty. The private school operators have been helping the government in this cause, but instead of reciprocating, the government is trying to defame us.”

Sharma said, “We are not in favour of strike, but the state government has left us with no other option. The private schools are not against teaching the poor students. The government should abolish Rule 134-A and instead implement RTE, under which 25 per cent of the seats are reserved for weaker sections in private schools at the entry level, as against 10 per cent under Rule 134-A.”

He lamented the state government was not willing to reimburse the expenditure incurred by schools on educating poor students under Rule 134-A. Sharma said EWS students should be given Rs 2,500 voucher so that they could get an option to choose a school of their choice.

To a query, Sharma said, “The Education Minister had said the government was spending around Rs 2,500 on each student in government school, hence we are seeking the same amount for these children as well.”