RTE deadline: NGOs fear over 3 lakh schools could close down

A number of voluntary organisations in the field of education today faulted the RTE on various counts including inefficient fund allocation and design and feared that over three lakh schools could close down when deadline for its enforcement expires on March 31.
The Central Square Foundation, headed by Ashish Dhawan, said big states such as Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar have hardly been able to achieve 25 per cent admission for students from economically weaker sections in neighbouring schools, as he called for broadening of neighbourhood criteria and greater awareness campaign for beneficiaries.
Concerns were also raised over the functioning of the school management committees, with Yamini Aiyar of Accountability Initiative putting the blame on design-related inefficiencies and delay in fund allocation.

According to the Act, all government and government aided schools should constitute a school management committee.
"But lack of fund allocation and delay in getting money is discouraging representatives under the committee," she told reporters here.
Noting that over three lakh private budget schools face the threat of closing down after March 31, the deadline for meeting infrastructure requirements under the act, impacting 4-5 crore students, Dhawan said private school regulation should be based on audited performance rather than input-based norms.
In this context, the members said the approach outlined in the Gujarat's model rules of recognising private schools based on meeting performance standards is a "path-breaking" model to follow.