New Delhi: Shouldn’t the smaller private schools be servicing the poor in the neighbourhood? There should be a clear policy that mandates that the 25 percent quota for poor students should be for the neighbourhood schools and not just for reputed private schools far from home.

The Supreme Court has sought response of the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking a new policy for admission of children belonging to disadvantaged groups in small but recognised schools nearer to their home under the 25 per cent quota (April 7).

A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra issued notice to the Centre, the UP government and its director of basic education on a petition filed by Association of Low Fee Private Schools which sought a policy to encourage small recognised schools to admit students under 25 per cent quota instead of sending them to large and popular schools at a longer distance from their residence.

“Small low-fee unaided private schools are numerous and they are the backbone of Indian elementary educational system.

“In order to boost education and to contain their closure, what is required is to boost private investment in the field of education, instead of discouraging their functioning, especially when the children are preferring to opt for private schools,” the plea, filed through advocate S K Rungta assisted by advocate Mehul Milind Gupta, said.

It said, “Thus, it requires a sound education policy of admission in the ‘neighbourhood’ and since neither the RTE Act, 2009 nor Rules framed by the state or the central government have laid down any sound principles of admission under 25 per cent quota fixed for private schools, the petitioner crave leave of this court to lay down sound judicial policy in this regard.”

The petitioner sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to lay down appropriate education policy of admission so that in the event the seats in government schools are filled, then the same shall be first offered to those schools which are willing to take those students specially in those which are more nearer to the residences of children.

  education, National Education Policy