School admission refused to Dalit students? Notice issued to TN school department

Petitioner N Selvakumar said that he has sent a petition to the NSCS alleging that many private schools in the state refused admission to children of cleanliness workers under the disadvantaged group category

The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Wednesday, May 29, issued a notice to the Secretary of the Tamil Nadu School Education Department J Kumaragurubaran. It was seeking an explanation for denying admission to Dalit children in self-financing private schools under the Right To Education (RTE) Act, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

NCSC sent the notice following a complaint from former member of the Tamil Nadu Sanitary Workers Welfare Board S Selvakumar on May 22 alleging that admission was denied to Dailt children under the RTE Act quota in self-financing schools.

In the notice, NSCS stated that based on the petition, the commission has decided to inquire into the matter in pursuance of the power conferred upon it under Article 338 of the Constitution of India.

The secretary is requested to submit the facts and information on the action on the petition within 15 days of receiving the notice.

In case the commission does not receive the reply from the secretary within the stipulated time, the commission may exercise the powers of Civil Courts conferred on it, NCSC warned in the notice.

Petitioner N Selvakumar, who is from Coimbatore, told The New Indian Express that he has sent a petition to the NSCS alleging that many private schools in the state refused admission to children of cleanliness workers under the disadvantaged group category.

“As many SC students suffered, the very purpose of the RTE Act has been lost. It is discrimination. The schools have given priority to only children from the general category in admission,” he charged.

Selvakumar urged the school education department to ensure that children belonging to disadvantaged sections get admitted in private schools as per the RTE Act which aims to provide free and compulsory education for all children in the age group of six to 14 years.

Further, he requested the Tamil Nadu government to give seats to the children of cleanliness workers, widows, and so on directly in schools without any lot system.

When asked about it, Secretary of the School Education Department J Kumaragurubaran who was unaware about NCSC’s notice told The New Indian Express that he would look into the matter.

Courtesy : Edex Live

Note: This news is originally published in edexlive.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights.