Schools asked to reserve 25 % seats for disadvantaged groups

Assam government today directed all private unaided non-minority schools to ensure that students from disadvantaged and weaker sections are provided 25 per cent reservation during allocation of seats and also free education.
A notification to this affect was issued under the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, and the Assam Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011, an official statement said.
"All private unaided non-minority schools and schools of specified category....Shall admit in Class-I at least 25 per cent of the strength of the class children belonging to disadvantaged groups and weaker sections in the neighbourhood and provide free and compulsory education till its completion," it said.

The notification will come into effect from the 2013-14 academic session.
It added "further, it was notified that those private unaided schools/specified category schools where pre-school education is imparted must also admit children from these sections to the extent of at least 25 per cent of the strength of the pre-school class".
The state government will reimburse the expenditure incurred by the schools for providing free and compulsory education to the children admitted under these provisions.
The notification further said children admitted under these provisions "shall not be discriminated from the rest of the children in any manner pertaining to entitlements and facilities and shall not be segregated from the other children in the classroom nor shall their classes be held at places and timing different from the classes held for the other children, nor shall an exclusive section be opened for them.