Panel okays reimbursement rates for EWS students

Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 14

A high-powered committee chaired by Education Secretary BL Sharma approved reimbursement rates payable to private schools for three consecutive years, starting from session 2015-16, here on Thursday.

For the financial year 2015-16, an amount of Rs 1,767.39 per child expenditure has been decided. For 2016-17 and 2017-19, per child expenditure of Rs 2,197.32 and Rs 2,348.38 has been set up, respectively.

Previously, a partial rate of Rs 750 was decided for session 2015-16. BL Sharma said, “Only per child cost expenditure has been approved. We shall have to seek the concurrence of the Finance Department for the same.”

Under Section 12(1) (c) of Right to Education (RTE) Act, the private schools are required to reserve 25 per cent seats for children belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS)/disadvantaged groups (DG) and provide free and compulsory elementary education up till its completion.

These schools are reimbursed expenditure so incurred by them to the extent of per child expenditure incurred by the state or the actual amount charged from the child, whichever is less.

As private schools are required to reserve 15 per cent seats for children belonging to the economically weaker section under the Land Allotment Scheme of the UT, the Education Department gives reimbursement over and above the 15 per cent only out of the total 25 per cent seat reservation as mandated under the RTE.

The Education Department gives reimbursement for 10 per cent reservation owing to a clause in the RTE that says, “If schools are already under obligation to provide free education to a specified number of children on account of it having received any land, building, equipment or other facilities, either free of cost or at a concessional rate, such school shall not be entitled to reimbursement to the extent of such obligation.”

How is reimbursement amount calculated?

The per child expenditure is being calculated by taking into account the expenditure incurred by the Education Department, including expenses such as salary and wages, office expenses, electricity, water, stationery, and miscellaneous.

The expenditure is divided by the total number of students (up to Class XII) and then multiplied by the number of students at the elementary level. After schools claim the reimbursement amount, the department decides the amount to be paid, based on whichever is lesser — amount claimed by school or amount decided by the department.