Attempts to strike down 25pc quota for poor children in private schools'

Mangalore, August 27: Karnataka is one of the states that has failed to implement the Right To Education Act, 2009 which guarantees free and mandatory education to children. There is a need to thwart attempts to remove 25 per cent reservation to poor children in the private schools envisaged by the Act, said Philip Mathew, director of South India Cell For Human Rights Education And Monitoring.

He has been appointed by the National Child Rights Commission to oversee the implementation of the Act in Karnataka. He was speaking at an awareness programme held at SDM college on the RTE Act.

A prestigious school in Bangalore issued a circular recently stating that it would not admit children from poor families. Although the government has committed to take care of the expenses of these poor children, the attitude of the school is highly condemnable. There are about 60 petitions in front of the Supreme Court seeking to quash the said provision in the Act. There is a need to launch a mass movement against attempts to remove the above rule in the RTE and deny education to poor children, he said.

There are tough provisions in the Act against violence against children and sexual abuse of children. But the provisions have been violated repeatedly. Some elite schools give admissions to only 'brilliant' children and thereby deny children's right to education. All these issues will be brought to the notice of the government. It is ironical that despite the Act coming into force two years ago, it has not been implemented effectively, he said.

Human Rights activist R. Manohar, Renny D'Souza were present.