RTE Act, will it be beneficial to actual beneficiary?

The recent ruling by the Supreme Court exempting minority education institutions from the ambit of Right to Education (RTE) Act has evoked mixed reactions in Chennai with schools having minority status welcoming the decision, while parents of underprivileged and poor students belong to majority community decrying the order as ‘arbitrary’.

While certain schools in Chennai still to admit 25 per cent of students belonging to backward community in their respective areas, a section of parents have expressed apprehension that several wealthy parents belonging to backward community will take this Act as a route to enter into frontline private educational institutions to get free education for their wards.

Since economic status has not been clearly mentioned for admitting these students, a simple caste card is enough to comply the school authorities with extending admission for these students, they say.

However, one can’t rule out the possibility of deserving and intelligent children from middle or poor families belonging to upper cast getting left out or being denied quality education. It is mandatory to argue that by denying seats to these children, are we not denying their right for quality education?

Reservation is good for those who don’t afford quality education, which comes with heavy price these days. Instead of deciding on the basis of caste, economic status should be taken as yardstick to admit these students in private aided or unaided schools, which impart quality education. It will be a good investment for the state government too on these students, who shall utilise their education for the benefit of the state when they grow up.