Edu dept sends notices to 56 private schools for not disclosing seats under EWS category

Gurugram: The education department of Haryana government has sent notices to 56 private schools in Gurugram for not disclosing the number of seats under section 134-A of Education Act of the government. As per the law, 252 students should be admitted to the school. Yet, it has been alleged that the schools are not following the proper procedures and denying admission to students. The education department has asked private schools to reply to the notice within a week failing which the licenses of the private schools may be cancelled by the education department.

Under section 134-A, the private schools have to disclose the number of seats available with it so that twenty five percent of the seats can be reserved for Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students. Yet, despite various reminders by the education department, most of the private schools in Gurugram flouted the rules set by the government and did not disclose the information. Already under controversy for charging hefty school fees from the parents, the private schools have been blamed for not providing the information of seats available to avoid the admissions of economically backward students. The reluctance of private schools to not allow economically backward students have resulted in most of the EWS students availing education through non registered schools and thereby not availing the government benefits. Meanwhile, already miffed with the approach of private schools towards charging hefty school fees, the parents again lashed out at the functioning of private educational institutes.

Amid host of allegations against the working of private schools in the city, one of the significant accusation has been adopting discriminatory attitude towards economically weaker section students. The telling story on the state of education especially in the context of EWS students was revealed when more than 50 per cent students failed in their annual examinations.