Schools on public land can't run as profit-making centres: HC

The AAP government today told the Delhi High Court that private unaided schools built on public land cannot run as "profit-making centres" and these should rather provide education as "welfare and charitable" measures.
"The schools on public land should be for the welfare of the children. It should not be a profit-making business. They (schools) rather provide education as a charitable measure," the government told Justice Manmohan.
It also rebutted the contention raised by some parents that their rights to admit kids to schools of their choice has been taken by the notification on the neighbourhood norm.
"All parents and children have complete autonomy and freedom to apply to any school of their choice. In respect of almost more than 80 per cent of the private unaided schools in Delhi, the provisions do not apply, thus leaving the parents and schools with a large majority of schools to choose from," the counsel for the Delhi government submitted.

The government was making its submission during hearing of pleas by parents and two school groups, challenging the Delhi government's December 19, 2016 and January 7 notifications that made 298 private schools, built on Delhi Development Authority land, to accept nursery admission forms based only on the neighbourhood or distance criteria.
The two school groups -- Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools and Forum for Promotion of Quality Education -- and parents have contended that these circulars are bad in law and have curtailed their fundamental rights.
The court, however, by way of an interim order had allowed the parents to fill up the application forms for the various schools based on the criteria set by them as well as the Delhi government.

Later, it had also stayed the government's notification asking private minority unaided schools to accept nursery admission forms using neighbourhood criteria.