Child rights panel issues summons to five schools

CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) has summoned five private schools for failing to disclose information regarding admission of children belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) category or disadvantaged groups (DG).

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 16

The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) has summoned five private schools for failing to disclose information regarding admission of children belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS) category or disadvantaged groups (DG). So far, out of the 80 schools only 19 have given EWS information.

On Wednesday, Principals of five schools — Paragon Convent School, Stepping Stones Senior Secondary School, St Peter Secondary School, Playway Model School and Bal Niketan Model Senior Secondary School — were summoned to office of the CCPCR at 3 pm along with year-wise and class-wise records pertaining to the EWS category up to September 30, 2018.

Information of an year wise (from 2010 to 2018) and class-wise detail (entry level to Class VIII) of the EWS and DG students was sought by the child rights panel on November 27 and a subsequent reminder was sent to all private schools on December 17 too.

Private schools were asked to furnish details, including minimum age for admission to the entry-level class, total number of students admitted each year and strength of students belonging to the EWS or DG admitted at the entry-level in the respective years starting from 2010 to 2018.

Details for each class, number of sections, total number of students and number of EWS/DG students in each class was also sought.

Remaining private schools will be summoned for not providing information to the CCPCR. Earlier, private schools had also discouraged the move to provide information sought by the child rights panel.

RTE consultant Chanchal Singh of the CCPCR said, “There are always talks on the EWS category at the entry level. However, it is important to know whether the EWS students are being retained till Class VIII in private schools as under Section 12 (1) C of Right to Education private institutions have to reserve 25% seats at the entry level and provide free and compulsory elementary education till its completion. The panel has right to know whether the EWS children are completing their education or not.”