Bring minority schools under RTE Act: PIL in SC

New Delhi, December 18

A PIL in the Supreme Court has demanded that the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, (RTE Act) 2009, should apply to minority schools as well.

The petition challenged the validity of Sections 1(4) and 1(5) of the RTE Act for allegedly depriving educational excellence to children belonging to minority communities. Added to the RTE through an amendment in 2012, Sections 1(4) and 1(5) specifically provide that the Act will not apply to minority and religious educational institutions.

The petitioner contended that despite the 86th Amendment, adding Article 21A to the Constitution to provide for free and compulsory education for children between six to 14 years, the RTE Act 2009 is not applicable to minority educational institutions. The petition contended that Sections 1(4) and 1(5) the Act went against the rights of lakhs of children belonging to minority communities. — TNS