District needs 1.07 crore to reimburse fees under RTE

Dakshina Kannada district Public Instructions Department has sent an audit report to State government to release Rs 1,07,87,394 to reimburse the fees of  first standard, second standard and LKG students who have been admitted under Right To Education Act 2009 (25 per cent reservation), in the district, for the year 2013-14.

All seven educational blocks have sent their audit reports as directed by the Department of Public Instructions. For the year 2013-14, to reimburse the fees of 1,135 first standard students, the district requires Rs 69,94,775. Among seven education blocks, Moodbidri has sought Rs 8,92,550, Bantwala- Rs 16,94,250, Puttur- Rs 7,46,980, Belthangady- Rs 4,81,699, Mangalore South- 16,46,308, Mangalore North- Rs 6,50,026 and Sullia has sought Rs 1,82,982 to reimburse the fees.
In total, RTE has been implemented in 122 schools this year.

Along with this, for the first time, 45 pre-school kids (LKG) were admitted to six different schools and the district has claimed Rs 2, 23,828 to reimburse their fees. For 752 second standard students (who have joined last year) the required amount is Rs 35,68,791. In 2012-13, the government had released Rs 46,01,398 and Rs 65,194 was pending.

In Dakshina Kannada, 1,421 applications were received for seats under RTE, out of which 1,180 students were admitted and 241 applications were rejected because of lack of seats.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Deputy Director of Public Instructions Moses Jayashekar said: “The success rate has been increased and required amount of money is also increased. We have sent the audit report and requested money to reimburse the fees. We hope that the government will release money within 15 to 20 days,” he said.

‘Don’t put pressure on parents’

Right to Education activist Naagasinga Rao has said that schools should wait until government releases funds.

“Last year, we have witnessed some schools pressurising parents to pay fees when government delayed in releasing money. Parents should complain with education department officials when such incidents happen. The block education officers should also be alert. They should not allow it to be “Right to Exploitation,” he said.

Rao is also a member of RTE Task Force which is a team of 136 members to create awareness about RTE and hear the woes of beneficiaries.

The district education department has achieved considerable achievement in introducing Right to Education Act. Still, there is scope for improvement by creating awareness about the rights of children and the ways of exploitation meted out by some schools.