Maharashtra: English Medium Schools To Boycott RTE Admissions Over Unpaid Fee Reimbursement
Nagpur, 17th December 2023: The Maharashtra English School Trustee Association (MESTA) has issued a stern warning to the state government, stating that unless fee reimbursement amounts under the Right to Education Act (RTE) are promptly disbursed to private English medium schools, there will be a boycott of 25 percent reserved admissions under RTE in the next academic year.
MESTA organized a one-day sit-in protest during the ongoing winter session in Nagpur to emphasize the urgent need for fee reimbursement. Private English schools across the state have reported not receiving fee reimbursements since the academic year 2017-18.
The protest, staged by MESTA, aims to press the government to expedite the payment of duty reimbursement. According to the RTE, 25 percent of seats in private schools are reserved for the admission of students from economically weaker and disadvantaged sections. The admission process for these reserved seats is conducted centrally, and the fee reimbursement amount is intended to be provided by the state government to the schools admitting students under this category.
However, for the past six years, the state government has not fulfilled this financial commitment, raising concerns that the education of students in these reserved seats could be at risk if schools do not receive the overdue reimbursements.
Sanjay Tayde Patil, the Founder President of MESTA, stressed the urgency of the situation and urged the government to release the funds to English medium schools without further delay.
Participating in the protest were key figures such as the regional president of the organization, Dr. Namdev Dalvi, Executive Secretary Khemraj Konde, Nagpur Division President Dr. Mohan Raikwar, Kapil Umale, Anil Mogre, and other members of MESTA.
