Open House: What needs to be done to provide quality and affordable education to all children?
Need to honour UT's concessions
Chandigarh administration has been allotting land to private schools at lower price to promote education. In return, the decision taken by the administration to accommodate economically weaker sections (EWS) students in private schools must be honoured. Private non-minority schools are required to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for EWS and disadvantaged groups (DG) under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009. There is need for the private school owners to admit EWS students as per the RTE act and to promote and spread education among poor students.
Wg Cdr JS Minhas (retd), Mohali
Take steps to check commercialisation
Every citizen, be it from an affluent or poor section of society, has the right to education. The underprivileged section needs more attention for the sake of upliftment. The private sector has commercialised the education for profit-making whereas state-run schools have failed to impart quality education. Steps at the government level should be taken to check the commercialisation in private schools and to make government schools result oriented.
RP Malhotra, Panchkula
Ensuring adherence is admn’s duty
To ensure quality and affordable education for economically weaker sections and disadvantaged children, the Chandigarh Administration can take the following steps. Ensure private schools adhere to the 25 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Disadvantaged Group (DG) students. The administration can regularly monitor and verify the admission process. Conduct regular inspections of private and public schools to ensure they meet quality education standards. Implement an online admission system for EWS and DG students, ensuring transparency and fairness in the process.
Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar
Rules should be followed in letter and spirit
The Constitution which stresses on the importance of equality of opportunities for all irrespective of caste, colour and creed should be followed in letter and spirit in the schools as well. The EWS and DG students be admitted to all the good aided and unaided schools on the basis of merit and encouraged to put up a better show with all the possible concessions like waiver of tuition fees and concession in school bus fares. NGOs and even individuals may be invited to make donations for their books, uniforms and necessary stationery items.
N P S Sohal, Chandigarh
Constitute panels for regular monitoring
Conformity with Constitutional values is a must. The administration may constitute a high-level committee to check regularly the private schools that proper quality educational facilities are being given to children under the RTE Act, 2009. If any violations are brought to the notice, higher authorities should take necessary action against the schools. The management of private schools, on their part, should create such a environment that children do not face any partiality from teachers and staff.
Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh
Financial support from govt key
To ensure quality and affordable education for children from humble backgrounds, it is essential that privately aided schools strictly implement inclusive admission policies that reserve adequate seats for students from EWS and disadvantaged groups. Regular audits and monitoring by education authorities can help ensure compliance with these mandates. Financial support from the government, in the form of subsidies or reimbursements, can encourage schools to maintain educational standards while catering to these students. A collaborative effort between government, schools, and civil society can help bridge the gap and build a more equitable education system.
Harinder Singh Bhalla, Chandigarh
NGOs can play an important role
To ensure quality and affordable education to children from underpriviliged backgrounds, the administration can collaborate with non-governmental organizations (NGO) and philanthropists to provide them with free books including reference books and affordable uniforms. The Vidya Daan initiative can be expanded to provide holistic education and expertise in teaching learning pedagogies. The onus lies on the schools to help the beneficiaries avail the benefit of government schemes (including central government and UT Administration). This, it would ensure SDG 4 (quality education) for the Amrit Peedhi, fulfilling the aim of inclusiveness as we march towards a Viksit Bharat 2047.
Shobhna Kalra, Zirakpur
Work on providing more scholarships
Providing affordable education to children from underprivileged backgrounds needs special attention from concerned authorities. As a first step the government can provide more scholarships to such students. Social welfare and philanthropist organisations, rotary clubs etc. must also come forward to help to provide affordable education. Digital educational programmes can also help them develop their skills of their choice. Lastly, children of underprivileged backgrounds must be involved in social, cultural, sports activities to raise their moral and physical health.
Col TBS Bedi, Mohali
Penalise non-compliant schools
To ensure quality and affordable education for EWS/DG students, governments must enforce strict compliance with reservation mandates through regular audits, penalising non-compliant schools. Transparent, timely reimbursement mechanisms—linked to enrollment data—should replace delayed subsidies, easing financial burdens on schools. Academic equity requires targeted interventions: remedial classes, inclusive teacher training, and tech-enabled learning tools to bridge gaps. Schools must integrate EWS/DG students into mainstream classrooms, banning segregation, while fostering parental engagement via community workshops.
Gaganpreet Singh, Mohali
Focus on training, mentorship
The RTE Act, 2009, guarantees free and compulsory schooling for all 6 to 14-year-olds, and mandates that private unaided schools reserve 25% of seats for children from EWS and DG. Yet many children still attend under-resourced schools: inadequate infrastructure, a shortage of trained teachers, and limited resources hamper their learning. Innovations like digital classrooms and online platforms aim to bridge these gaps, bringing quality lessons to remote learners. Community-driven NGOs also support students. By pairing robust policies like the RTE Act with on-the-ground investment in infrastructure, training and mentorship, India can make the promise of equitable, quality education a reality for every child.
Jeevanjyoti, Chandigarh
The MDGS focused on universalising primary education by 2015, which was subsequently replaced by the SDGS in 2015, having its fourth goal about high-quality and inclusive education for every individual while enjoying lifelong learning opportunities. India as a country has a large education system consisting of around 414 million students with a budget of Rs 1,24,638 crore (US$ 15 billion) in the 2024-25 solely on education, yet, the quality and affordability of education remain a challenge for many in the country with rising tuition fees, cost of educational materials and limited access to scholarships placing a huge economic burden on families. Policy interventions such as ensuring a cap on fees and promoting inclusive education practices are the first step in this direction, as recently been done by the Delhi government by enacting a draft bill to form a three-tier committee for regulating arbitrary and exorbitant fee hikes.
Vaibhav Goyal, Chandigarh
Schools need to hold their end of bargain
The administration’s decision to mandate education to needy students in private schools is commendable. Chandigarh, as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, is a hub for quality education. Private schools in Chandigarh should therefore do their bit provide affordable, high-quality education to needy students from the tricity empowering them to compete for a brighter future.
Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh
Make admission process transparent
Transparent online admission system for EWS/DG quota should be implemented to avoid discrimination nepotism or corruption. All private unaided schools should comply in the mandated 25% reservation for EWS students under the Right to Education Act. Regular audits and penalities for non-compliance are essential. There should be the independent bodies to monitor the academic progress ,treatment and inclusion of EWS . Students in private schools to prevent marginalization or neglect. Administration must offer free or subsidised uniforms, books transport remedial classes and counselling to ensure retention and academic success of EWS/DG students .
Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar
Systemic change is required
Education is fundamental for nation, sustainable growth and development. Despite right to education act 2009, millions remain trapped in poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy. There is urgent need to address the deeply rooted systematic barriers that continue to impede underprivileged children access to quality education. It requires comprehensive approach to break this cycle. This goes beyond enrolling them in schools. Engaging NGOs or child protection committees to keep check on them is key. There is need of providing counselling and rehabilitation service to understand parents need of smaller families and enrolling their children in school for their better future. Ensuring conductive learning environment, skill teachers, resources, supportive education ecosystem, offering remedial support can help to bridge learning gap.
Charu Malhotra, Mohali
Fresh guidelines needed for private schools
Private schools charge a hefty fee from the students on the pretext of good and quality education, based on western, Montessori and international curriculum. Other charges include facilities of AC classrooms, modern infrastructure, filtered water, AC and CCTV monitored buses and many more. The administration should issue guidelines to put a cap on school fee. The focus should be on quality of teachers and education, not luxurious facilities at schools.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
Holds the schools accountable
The Chandigarh Administration’s directive mandating private unaided schools to support EWS and DG students is a welcome step toward inclusive education. However, to ensure quality and affordability, several measures must be taken. First, schools must be held accountable for not just admitting these students, but also providing them equal academic and extracurricular opportunities. Regular audits and feedback mechanisms can ensure compliance. For their part, the government should offer adequate financial support and training to schools to bridge learning gaps, especially for first-generation learners.
Sanjay Chopra, Mohali
Upgrade government schools infra
Government schools should be improved to provide quality education to children from economically weaker sections. This can be achieved by upgrading infrastructure, hiring qualified teachers, and providing essential resources like textbooks, uniforms, and technology. By strengthening these schools, the government can ensure that EWS children have access to equitable and inclusive education, which in turn will empower EWS children to break the cycle of poverty, acquire knowledge, and develop skills, ultimately becoming contributing members of society.
Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh
Keep an eye on helpdesks, school websites
The UT administration should ensure that needy children get quality education in the private unaided schools. The administration should publicise the process of admission through newspapers, radio ads and social media. The education department should regularly visit the schools to monitor the working of mandatory helpdesks and ensure that the private unaided schools update their website with the number of admissions of EWS and DG.
Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh
Need a proper redressal mechanism
To effectively implement the policy, schools should to be made to clearly display the seats that they intend to give to these disadvantaged/ EWS students. There should be proper monitoring by the regulators to ensure that these reserved seats are filled up and not shifted/gifted to other category students. A redressal mechanism should be set up. Complaints if any received should be sorted on priority to protect the future of these needy students.
Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh
