Wednesday, 09 August 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Parents of students who were enrolled in school under the Right to Education (RTE) Act claimed that school management is biased towards their children. They have alleged that their children were being kept in separate classes away from the other students who were not admitted under the RTE Act.
Commenting on alleged discrimination faced by RTE students, a parent Lalita Negi said, “The students enrolled in school under the RTE Act are discriminated against by the school management in various ways. As a parent of a child enrolled in a private school under the RTE Act, I have noticed that the school management discriminates against such students in different ways. My child has also experienced biased treatment, such as being prohibited from eating lunch with other students. Additionally, I have observed that students enrolled under the RTE Act are deprived of various facilities as compared to the students who are not admitted under the RTE Act.”
Member of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) Vinod Kaparwan told this correspondent, “The commission has come across many cases where students enrolled under the RTE Act have faced discrimination in private schools. These schools treat RTE children differently from other students, not allowing them to sit in the front row with their peers. It is important for parents not to ignore such discrimination and to seek help from the commission, which is always ready to assist students in such situations.”
The president of the National Association for Parents and Students Rights (NAPSR) Arif Khan expressed concern about private schools showing partiality towards students enrolled under the RTE Act. He said that he has witnessed many cases of biased treatment toward such students. To prevent such acts from occurring, the government needs to regulate the monitoring body to ensure strict oversight of the schools’ activities concerning RTE students, he added.
