Pvt schools refuse to meet govt representatives over 134 (A)

Members associated with various private school bodies in Haryana today refused to meet state government representatives to discuss the issues regarding Rule 134 (A) of Haryana School Education Rules which provides for 10 per cent quota for students from economically weaker sections.
They demanded that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar or Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma should invite them to hold talks.
"We refused to meet Additional Chief Secretary P K Das today. We want either CM Khattar or Education Minister to hold talks with us to resolve the issue related to 134 (A)," President of Federation of Private School Association of Haryana, Kulbhushan Sharma said here.

The Haryana government had invited representatives of various private schools for talks with Das and other officials here.
"We had held last meeting with Education Minister in November and then it was decided that a sub-committee will be formed to discuss issue related to 134 (A). But so far, the sub-committee has not been formed," Sharma alleged.
Associations which boycotted the meeting includ Federation of Private School Association of Haryana, Haryana Sanyukt Vidya Sangh, Haryana Progressive Schools Council, Public Schools Welfare Association, Karnal Independent Schools Association, Yamunanagar Progressive Schools Council, he said.

The school representatives also decided to ghearo the residence of Khattar in Karnal on May 25.

Private schools which were on strike this month have been demanding scrapping Rule 134 (A) and implementation of Right to Education Act under which 25 per cent of the seats are reserved for weaker sections in private schools at the entry level.
Rule 134 (A) of Haryana School Education Rules, mandates schools to give 10 per cent reservation to economically weaker section (EWS) students between classes two and 12.
School owners said it is difficult to give admission to students in intermediate classes as private schools had limited seats.
Moreover, there was no compensation policy from the government for these students hence the other 90 per cent students would have to bear the additional burden.

"We are saying the government should give money directly to parents instead of schools," he said.
He said schools were demanding Rs 2,500 per student as compensation. "But the government is offering us Rs 200-300 per student which is a cruel joke with poor students," Sharma said.
On May 14, owners and teachers of various private schools had gheraoed the residence of Haryana Health minister Anil Vij in Ambala in protest against the rule.