Gujarat High Court defers Right to Education admission decision, hearing on Tuesday

The fate of 400 students, admitted to 16 minority schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in Vadodara, remains uncertain after the Gujarat High Court Monday deferred the hearing of the petition filed by the schools against the District Education Officer’s (DEO) order to admit the students. The court will hear the petitions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Of the 16 minority schools, who were served the notice, nine had approached the High Court, claiming that they cannot admit students under the RTE Act based on a 2014 verdict of the Supreme court which states that the law does not apply to aided or unaided minority schools.

The nine schools are Basil school, St Basil school, MGM, St Mary school, Sabari school, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Don Bosco, Auxillium and Rosary school. Meanwhile, the schools reopened on Monday.

“We understand the situation of the parents and the students, but we cannot take a decision before High Court decides. If the decision is in our favour, then the schools will have to admit the students but if it isn’t then we will admit them to other schools. We have even urged parents to submit petitions urging the court to hasten the hearing process,” said Education Inspector Shivangi Sashtri, who is in-charge of the RTE admissions across schools in Vadodara.

According to sources, 6,200 students have been admitted under the RTE Act so far, of which 400 have been admitted to minority schools.
News Source (Indian Express)