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CHENNAI: The department of school education has sought explanation from Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School for the circular it had sent parents urging them to protest against the Right to Education Act. The government has also sent a letter to the CBSE recommending action against the school.
On Monday, the school issued a circular signed by the principal Subala Ananthanarayanan, urging parents to protest against the Act. It said that the school had no choice but to admit students from poor families, which would bring down quality of education and demoralise teachers. As per the RTE Act, the state governments have to ensure that every child gets education in a neighbourhood school. Every school should offer at least 25% of seats to children from weaker sections free of cost. Suggesting that the state's decision could force the school to increase fees, Ananthanarayanan had asked parents to appeal to the governments not to implement the Act.
The principal has refused to comment on the circular.
A similar circular was also circulated to the parents of students in Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao Matriculation School from the email id (lady_andal@yahoo.co.in) signed by its correspondent C Prema Kumar. The mail also had an attached copy of the appeal that parents could sign. The 12-point letter is addressed to the President, the prime minister, the HRD minister, the chief minister and MP. "Thousands of government and municipal and panchayat schools in our state and other states are running half empty and children can be comfortably accommodated there," the appeal stated. It said the state should provide free education to all children and should not "unilaterally transfer this duty and burden to private schools and private citizens," the letter said.
"We have sent a notice to the school (from Sri Sankara school ) asking why it issued such a circular when the education department is yet to frame rules for the Act. The school seems to have made many assumptions. What made the school think that poor children will be unruly?" said school education secretary D Sabitha. The department has forwarded the circular, along with a letter to the CBSE chairman. Sabitha said the state may not implement the Act this year and there would be no pressure on schools to admit any particular student although the government would insist that one-fourth of the students should be from weaker sections.
On Monday, the school issued a circular signed by the principal Subala Ananthanarayanan, urging parents to protest against the Act. It said that the school had no choice but to admit students from poor families, which would bring down quality of education and demoralise teachers. As per the RTE Act, the state governments have to ensure that every child gets education in a neighbourhood school. Every school should offer at least 25% of seats to children from weaker sections free of cost. Suggesting that the state's decision could force the school to increase fees, Ananthanarayanan had asked parents to appeal to the governments not to implement the Act.
The principal has refused to comment on the circular.
A similar circular was also circulated to the parents of students in Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao Matriculation School from the email id (lady_andal@yahoo.co.in) signed by its correspondent C Prema Kumar. The mail also had an attached copy of the appeal that parents could sign. The 12-point letter is addressed to the President, the prime minister, the HRD minister, the chief minister and MP. "Thousands of government and municipal and panchayat schools in our state and other states are running half empty and children can be comfortably accommodated there," the appeal stated. It said the state should provide free education to all children and should not "unilaterally transfer this duty and burden to private schools and private citizens," the letter said.
"We have sent a notice to the school (from Sri Sankara school ) asking why it issued such a circular when the education department is yet to frame rules for the Act. The school seems to have made many assumptions. What made the school think that poor children will be unruly?" said school education secretary D Sabitha. The department has forwarded the circular, along with a letter to the CBSE chairman. Sabitha said the state may not implement the Act this year and there would be no pressure on schools to admit any particular student although the government would insist that one-fourth of the students should be from weaker sections.
