High Court of Karnataka summoned the regional officers of CBSE and ICSE schools

February 6, 2013, 12:00 am


The High Court of Karnataka on Monday summoned the regional officers of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) schools to address the confusion over enforcement of the provisions of Right to Education Act (RTE).

The Sarvodaya Education Society and parents approached the Court, challenging the hike in fee and exclusion of CBSE and ICSE schools under the purview of RTE?Act. Umashankar, the Commissioner for Department of Public Instruction, who was present before the Court, gave details of the fee structures.

Justice Hulavadi G Ramesh said the regional officers of the CBSE and ICSE were not present. The Court noted that students should be benefited from the law and the officials should come up with proper directions on enforcement of the law. The judge directed the regional officers to be present before the court on the next date of hearing.

The petitioners submitted that some private, CBSE and ICSE schools hiked fee by 100 per cent even after the Court ruled that such schools come under the RTE?Act.

Adjourned

The Division bench headed by acting Chief Justice K?Sreedhar Rao adjourned a public interest litigation petition, questioning the income ceiling fixed by the government to seek admission in private schools under the RTE quota.

K Nagesh and two students of BPL families from Mysore had filed the petition. They said the income limit for below poverty line is Rs 30,000 a year which translates into Rs 2,500 per month.

�Such people definitely will not be able to send their children to elementary schools and provide them with quality education. The RTE Act is meant for children of such BPL families. However, income limit of Rs 3.5 lakh would only allow children from creamy layer to seek admission under the quota for weaker sections,� the petitioners claimed.