Christian leaders and lawyers have lauded India’s top court for upholding a legal provision that ensures the education of children from poor families in expensive private schools.
“The supreme court’s order has kept intact the rights of the children from economically weaker sections for quality education,” said Abraham Mathai, a former vice-chairman of the minorities commission in western Maharashtra state.
In February, the government in Maharashtra amended the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The law had asked private schools to admit students from poor families if they were within a 1-kilometer radius of a government or aided school. The amendment exempted private schools in the state from admitting poor children.
The Bombay High Court, the top court in the state, turned down the government’s decision. An appeal was filed in the Supreme Court, which, on Aug. 9, upheld the high court’s decision.
“I support the Supreme Court ruling upholding the Bombay High Court’s decision asking private schools to reserve 25 percent of their seats for children from economically weaker sections,” Mathai told UCA News on Aug. 12.
He said the law is crucial for children from weaker families to gain “access to quality education,” given the tardy state of affairs in government-run schools in the country.
“It is a step towards a more inclusive and equitable education system,” he added.
A bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud dismissed the appeal by the Association of Indian Schools, a body of unaided private schools, seeking exemption from admitting students from the disadvantaged sections under the compulsory 25 percent quota.
Under the Act, students from poor families are given concessions in fees reimbursed by the respective state governments.
Private schools, however, are unhappy as the amount reimbursed is much lower than the fees they charge from other students.
The schools run by religious and linguistic minorities, including Christians, though private, are exempted from this norm as they are engaged in the welfare of their respective communities.
Both courts took the right decision; otherwise, the “RTE Act would have become toothless,” said advocate Govind Yadav, a former university student leader from Madhya Pradesh.
“Once this provision for 25 percent quota for admission is diluted, nothing is left in this law,” he added.