Petition seeks RTE Act implementation in 'letter and spirit'

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 27

Stating that the right to free education is an essential sovereign function of the welfare state, a public interest litigation (PIL) before the J&K High Court has sought the implementation of the Right to Education Act in letter and spirit in the newly carved out Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The PIL, which was listed before a division bench of the High Court headed by Chief Justice Geeta Mittal, was today posted for further consideration.

It has sought further directions for government respondents to ensure that no tuition, bus or any other incidental fee is charged from parents by any educational institution for the period during which they remained closed.

“Due to the unprecedented situation in Jammu and Kashmir since July, private schools have remained non-functional due to one reason or another. Most of the schools in J&K have started pressuring parents into paying full monthly fee, including tuition fees, bus fee and other incidental charges,” the PIL filed by Sheikh Umar Farooq, a resident of Anantnag, states.

“Despite the fact that none of the aforesaid facilities have been utilised by schoolchildren, parents are supposed to pay the tuition fee. This despite the fact that children have not been taught during the period these institutes remained closed,” the petitioner argued.

He prayed before the HC that the directions be issued to the respondents, including the Chief Secretary, commissioner secretary of the Education Department, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner, and Kashmir Director School Education, to ensure that no tuition fee, bus fee or any other incidental fee was charged from students by any educational institutions in J&K from August onwards till normal classes were resumed.

The PIL has also prayed for directions to the respondents to implement the Right to Education Act in letter and spirit.