It refers to welcome the Supreme Court verdict on endorsing ‘Right to Education (RTE) Act,’ which makes it mandatory for private unaided schools to admit 25 per cent students from economically weaker section of society. The verdict will induce equality in the society where some really talented students remain deprived of better education as they could not afford to get into reputed schools. There was a time when meritorious students emerged only from government-aided schools in Delhi as there were only a very few elite schools in the capital city. But with the change of time, government-aided schools have lost such privilege. Equality can and should be brought among private and government-aided schools by having a board-examination at primary level whereby fresh admissions in sixth class may be on the basis of merit list so prepared after fifth-class board examinations, rather than on the basis of influence/approach, donation (bribe), etc. Considering high level irregularities in school admissions, RTE Act should also include provisions of RTI Act to make all schools, including private ones, answerable to public.
Madhu Agrawal
Delhi