Chandigarh Administration to pay Rs 2,740 per month for each child for 2023-24 session
The UT Administration has decided to pay Rs 2,740 per child per month as reimbursement to the private unaided schools in the city for teaching the children from economically weaker section (EWS) and disadvantaged groups (DGs) under the statutory provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act-2009 for the year 2023-24. The per child expenditure rates for the academic year 2024-25 are yet to be finalised.
An order to this effect was passed by the Director School Education (DSE), HPS Brar, on April 21 to settle the contentious matter pertaining to the reimbursement of expenditure incurred by the private unaided schools on EWS/DG students.
Issue misrepresented: ISA president
The entire issue is misrepresented as the RTE Act is very clear that responsibility for educating the under-privileged lies totally with the state government. The RTE Act required the government to create schools by 2013 to meet provisions of the law. — HS Mamik, president, independent school association
In a 21-page order, a copy of which was made available to The Tribune on Thursday, Brar also rejected the claims of two leading private unaided schools for reimbursement. While the claim of St Kabir Public School has been totally rejected, Vivek High School has been allowed reimbursement of Rs 2.3 lakh only.
Referring to the statutory provisions of the RTE Act, the DSE decided that in terms of the Education Department’s instructions issued on May 8, 2020, the payment will be made at 75% of Rs 3,653 per child per month, which comes to Rs 2,740 per child per month, for the academic year 2023-24.
Disposing of the reimbursement claims, Brar noted that Vivek High School submitted a request for reimbursement of Rs 31.51 lakh towards academic year 2024-25 entry-level EWS/DG admissions. The school calculated the expenditure incurred on 22 students at the monthly fee of Rs 11,800 per child with interest of Rs 2.13 lakh. He, however, ordered reimbursement as an interim payment of Rs 2.3 lakh, calculated at the rate of Rs 2,740 per child for seven students for 12 months until academic year 2024-25.
Similarly, St Kabir Public School requested for reimbursement of Rs 37.52 lakh towards five EWS students from sessions 2012-13 to 2022-23. “Though no details of class-wise admission have been provided, these five seats are much less than the 15% obligated EWS free seats under the Scheme of 1996,” the DSE noted, while ordering no reimbursement to this school. Rejecting the school’s claim for the reimbursement of Rs 10.74 lakh towards academic year 2024-25 entry-level EWS/ DG admissions for 12 students as well, the DSE ordered that no reimbursement was admissible against the claimed amount as the school admitted less children than 15% mandatory EWS quota.
What RTE Act says
Section 12(1)(C): School to admit in its entry-level class at least 25% of the strength of that class, children belonging to EWS/DG and provide free and compulsory elementary education till its completion.
Section 12(2): Reimbursement of expenditure will be to the extent of per child expenditure incurred by the state or the actual amount charged from the child, whichever is less, provided that such reimbursement shall not exceed per child expenditure incurred by a school.
Schools to bear expenses of 15% students
The RTE Act Section 12(2) further provided that where the school is already under obligation to provide free education to a specified number of children on account of it having received any land/ building/ equipment/ other facilities, either free of cost or at a concessional rate, such school shall not be entitled to reimbursement to the extent of such obligation. In Chandigarh, there is a provision of 15% reservation to EWS under the Scheme of 1996.
Chandigarh