RTE: HC notice to DPS for not imparting quality education to poor students

The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the central government and chairman of Delhi Public School (DPS) Society on a plea alleging that one of its schools had deprived poor students of quality education by ignoring the right to education (RTE) law.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Vibhu Bakhru also issued notice to the Delhi government and chief of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and sought their response by Sep 18.

The petition sought a direction to the society's school in Noida to impart free and compulsory education to the poor students in accordance with RTE law.

The petition was filed by a group of parents of poor students of DPS sector 30 Noida.

The parents alleged that the school had segregated the poor students from the classes held for other children.

The plea alleged that the poor students were discriminated against from others on issue of text books, uniforms, library facilities and extra curricular activities.

"The school played a fraud on the petitioners to deprive their wards of quality education by totally ignoring the mandate of the RTE act that children from disadvantaged and weaker sections admitted for free education are to be provided same quality education by providing infrastructure and compliance with specific norms and standard in the school as for other students in the class," the plea said.

Separate classes for the poor students were being held after 2 p.m., old torn books were given to them and one book was to be shared between three-four students, it alleged.

The plea said that contrary to the mandate of the law the school was charging monthly fee.

The petitioner said that a complaint was made to Noida police Feb 2 and a representation was also given to the child rights panel Feb 5, but nothing much had changed.