RTE to cost government Rs 1,300 crore for 5 years

Bengaluru: What would be the reimbursement amount of 25% students who will be enrolled under the Right to Education (RTE) scheme in the private schools of the city in the next five years?

According to an estimate done by the state government, it will be Rs 1,300 crores. This amount has now forced the state government to rethink its stand on the RTE quota seats.

According to sources, in the last four years more than 3.16 lakh students were admitted under the 25% seats in the private schools.

Till now the state government has released Rs 368 crores as the reimbursement amount. If the same trend continues, the state will need to pay up to Rs 1,300 crores to three private schools as reimbursement amount. This has now forced the state government to think about reconsidering the RTE quota in the private schools.

State primary and secondary education minister Mr. Kimmane Rathnakar has already given a hint over reconsidering the RTE quota. According to him, by January 2016, the union government, which implemented the RTE act in the year 2009, is expected to come out with an alternative plan in this regard.

According to Mr. Kimmane, if the RTE reimbursement amount is used for strengthening of the government schools, more students will benefit.

An officer said that the central government is also aware of the fact that in the name of RTE reimbursement, public funds are going to private schools. “Rs 1,300 crore is a big amount. But it is not easy to scrap the act at the state level as the issue is very sensitive and any step towards the weakening of the act may lead to public outrage and an anti-poor title being given to the state government,” he said.

But activists are upset with the state government’s decision. They warn that any such move will boomerang. According to Mr. Nagasimha Rao, the state government’s proposal in this regard is highly reprehensible.

“It is a central act and the state government cannot say no to it. Adding to this, what is the guarantee that the state government will use the total reimbursement amount for the improvement of government schools? There is no truth in the allegations that government schools have closed down because of RTE quota. We will not allow the state government to take this kind of decision,” he said.