'Fill RTE seats in govt 'schools first'

The Karnataka Unaided School Managements’ Association (KUSMA) has shot off a letter to the school education department, saying that after 2014-15, schools under the association will admit students under the 25 per cent quota of the RTE, only after the government fills all seats in government schools, those run by local authorities and aided schools. 

KUSMA attributes the low interest of students to enrol in government schools to the “failure of its officers” and as such they (unaided schools) should not be made to suffer. 

“It (the government) cannot subject the mere 16 per cent private unaided schools in the State to 25 per cent reservation under RTE,” said the letter. 

The letter says that with nearly two lakh teachers employed in elementary schools, a large portion of the funds for school education goes to pay their salaries. Hence, if all the children are made to study in private schools, it will amount to waste of money. 

The letter says that RTE has been created based on the concept of “need” and not for a preference for education in private aided schools.