Raipur. The Right to Education Act came into force in the country in 2009 and in the state in April 2010. In almost all the states of the country, the seats are increasing under the Right to Education Act, but in Chhattisgarh, the seats are reduced every year and despite reducing, the seats are not filled. Due to this, the education department is being put in the dock? Questions are being raised on the intentions of Education Department officials?
At present, the process of applying for the education session 2024-25 is going on. In such a situation, if we look at the records till 2023, from then till today more than one lakh applications are made by poor families for good education for their children, but unfortunately till date 52 thousand seats have not been filled. Every year thousands of seats become vacant. In such a situation, the question arises that in a state where there are more than 77 lakh ration card holders. Does the non-filling of 52 thousand seats in the state raise questions about the intentions of the education department? Are the objective values of the Right to Education Act trampled? Are the dreams of poor children studying in private schools thwarted?
The process of application under the Right to Education Act is going on in the state till April 15, applications can be made till April 15. Every year the Education Department is informed about the problems being faced in applying. If the survey has not been conducted for the last 20 years, then have no children been born in the last 20 years? Is it the fault of the children born in these 20 years that they cannot study if the survey is not conducted?
Entry Class: Earlier there were three different entry classes but now it has been reduced to one, hence about 33000 seats have reduced in the state in a year.
The education department also knows about the bond of ward and panchayat that there is no school in every ward, but as per the rules and conditions, you can apply only in the ward in which you live. Are the wards which do not have a school, not poor? Neither does that child have the right to study?
Number of seats reduced: There were more than 85,000 seats under the Right to Education Act in the education session 2023-24, but this number has now reduced to 52 thousand. In this way, in the last one year, education seats were taken away from 33 thousand poor children.
Non-compliance of court order: In 2016, the court had decided that the first priority for recruitment should be given to a radius of three kilometers. In the second priority, six kilometers should be given priority and in the third priority, more than six kilometers should be given priority. But these orders have been ignored and confined to the ward. Whether there is a school in the ward or not?
Why ration but not education in BPL card? Under the Right to Education Act, it has been made mandatory to have name in the BPL card, but education is not provided to poor families through this card. The card which gives ration considering the poor is not given education in the same state.
If the number of students in schools is increasing then why is the number of students in RTE decreasing?
Raising questions on this issue, Parents Association President Paul said that rules and regulations are changed arbitrarily without issuing any guidelines. The result of this was that there has been an increase in seats under the Right to Education Act in all the states of the country except Chhattisgarh, but in Chhattisgarh there is a decline every year. Does the Education Department want to close the Right to Education Act in Chhattisgarh?
If the root of the problem is known, then why was the solution not solved? Ever since the Right to Education Act came into force, it has been argued by the departmental officers that people apply more in a single school, there are only a few schools where thousands of applications are received. There are and there are 100-200 seats, in such a situation the seat is vacant. When the responsible officers of the department knew the reason, why was the work not done on its root? If the work had been done honestly then poor families would not have had to go to court to fill the seats?
Applications can be made in the first phase till April 15. Additional Director of the Directorate of Public Instruction, Dr. Yogesh Shivhare said that applications can be made in the first phase till April 15. The website is open for applications. From eighth to twelfth, 3,90,000 children are studying under the Right to Education Act. There are 52,000 seats in more than 6200 private schools. 15th April is the last date to apply. Applications received from April 18 to May 17 will be verified. Lottery will be drawn from May 20th to May 30th and admissions will be made in schools till June 30th.
Dr. Yogesh Shivhare, Additional Director, Directorate of Public Instruction