Unaided schools await their just dues

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3

The Chandigarh Administration, it seems, has flunked in the effective implementation of the Right to Education Act, 2009. In the absence of timely reimbursement of expenses incurred on students from economically weaker section (EWS), the schools have been finding it tough to maintain the high standards of education and have virtually been left fending for themselves on the financial front since 2011-12 — the academic session when the 25 per cent reservation began in the city’s unaided schools.

The Independent Schools Association (ISA) has time and again raised the issue with the UT Administration about the reimbursement of the dues that have been pending for over nine years.

It was only in October last year when the UT Education Department had sanctioned these long-pending dues, amounting to Rs 99 lakh, for the academic years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. For the sessions 2018-19 and 2019-2020, the unaided private schools are yet to receive any reimbursement as per child cost for the said academic sessions has not been decided by the department.

A letter by the District Education Officer to private schools claimed that the Education Department had cleared all claims of reimbursement with effect from 2010-11 to 2017-18 for admissions to ‘entry class’ as per the provisions of the RTE Act.

As per the Act, the admissions of EWS students should commence at the entry level. A child admitted at the entry level completes his or her elementary education, i.e. till Class VIII, in a private school free of cost. However, the city’s unaided schools contend that the UT Administration was reimbursing them only for entry-level classes and not a single penny came for subsequent classes.

*Reimbursement only for 10 pc students

Private schools claim that while reimbursement should be for the whole of the 25 per cent quota of EWS students, they only get it for 10 per cent students. The Administration holds private schools accountable for reserving 15 per cent EWS seats under the land allotment scheme of the UT.

Strawberry Fields High School, Sector 26, is at present catering to 315 underprivileged students till Class VIII. Its reimbursement dues till the 2018-19 session had crossed over Rs 90 lakh. However, the amount is only for 10 per cent of the EWS seats. When calculated for 25 per cent seats at all levels, the amount crosses over Rs 3.42 crore.

The dues estimated by Bhavan Vidyalaya, Sector 27, for the academic session 2011-12 to 2018-19 are over Rs 69 lakh. This when the expenditure of only ‘10 students’ out of the 25 admitted under the RTE Act has been taken into account.

Out of the 100 entry-level seats, Bhavan reserves 25 seats for EWS students every year but gets reimbursement for only 10 students (10 per cent of 100 seats). The school was reimbursed only Rs 12.6 lakh.

ISA president HS Mamik said, “The UT Administration has never been serious about dealing with the issues in a proper manner and always found ways to avoid reimbursement. The dues calculated at 25 per cent for all schools have crossed Rs 20 crore. We have been regularly claiming this amount from the Administration.”

*Why schools aren’t reimbursed for 25% seats

As per the provisions of the RTE Act under section 12(2), the schools, which have received any land, building, equipment or other facilities either free of cost or at a subsidised rate, are under obligation to provide free education to a specified number of children. Such schools shall not be entitled to reimbursement to the extent of such obligation. In Chandigarh, as per land allotment conditions, all schools have to admit 15 per cent students from the EWS category. Accordingly, these schools are reimbursed only for remaining 10 per cent seats.

*Is ‘per-child cost’ formula fair?

All private unaided schools complying with the Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act submit their claim for reimbursement with the respective state governments or UTs through the district office. The school is reimbursed the expenditure incurred by it either on the basis of per-child expenditure incurred by the state, or the actual amount charged; whichever is lesser.

This methodology to determine the per-child cost has been questioned often by the stakeholders. Private schools claim the amount spend by them per month/per child is much higher as compared to the amount determined by the UT.

Let us say, the per-child cost of Strawberry Fields High School for the session 2017-18 was Rs 7,500 whereas the cost calculated by the UT is only Rs 2,348 for that year.

In a document submitted to the UT District Education Office last year, Bhavan Vidyalaya had stated, “We are being considered only for 10 EWS students out of the 25 we admitted. Keeping into account the expense per child in a private unaided school, the reimbursement amount should be at least Rs 4,000 (per child per month).”

*Why the delay in reimbursement for 2018-19, 2019-20

The per child cost is calculated after taking expenditure figures from all government schools, the engineering department, Samagra Shiksha and other agencies. According to Rubinderjit Singh Brar, Director, School Education, the process for calculation of per-child expenditure for the year 2018-19 has already started and the detailed proposal will be submitted shortly. However, the process for 2019-20 will start after the completion of the current financial year.

What the Act says

Section 12(1)(c) of the RTE Act provides for admission of children belonging to economically weaker sections and disadvantageous groups to entry class to the extent of at least 25 per cent of the strength of the class. The section further mandates that such schools shall be reimbursed expenditure incurred by them according to per-child cost norms notified by the state/UT government concerned.

‘Schools find it difficult to impart quality education’

Independent School Association president HS Mamik highlighted private schools were finding themselves in a spot when it came to providing high-end facilities to students while bearing the financial burden of the studies of EWS students. “The decreased amount of reimbursement has impacted the economics of running a school. If this situation continues, the schools will not be able to admit EWS students after three to four years.”

Schools may get reimbursement till Class VIII: DSE

Rubinderjit Singh Brar, Director, School Education, said, “Keeping in view the provisions of the RTE Act, the internal departmental committee has already recommended releasing the payment for EWS students studying up to Class VIII. The case is under process with the finance department. As soon as the approval is received from it, the reimbursement process up to Class VIII will start.”