India: Karnataka State to Take Legal Action against Schools Not Complying to Right to Education

Primary and secondary education minister Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri has said that the state will enforce the right to education (RTE) Act in its entirety, irrespective of the stand taken by schools. “The schools that do not adhere to the RTE Act have to face legal action,” he said. Kageri’s statement comes in the wake of the controversy sparked off by a circular sent by Bethany High School in Koramangala to parents of its students, with the underlying tone being against the RTE Act.

The RTE Act states that private schools have to provide free education for 25% of the students from the economically and socially backward sections of society. The circular said, “Once this Act is enforced, a child could beat up your child, smoke on the campus, misbehave with a girl or a teacher and the school will have to watch helplessly. But, after the Act is in place, even if such incidents occur, we will not be in a position to take any action.”