Private schools in the erstwhile Adilabad district have yet to implement the 25 percent reservation for students from economically weaker sections, as mandated by the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The act aims to provide free education to underprivileged children.
Recently, in Yapalguda village, government school teachers conducted the Badi Bata (school enrolment drive) programme to encourage villagers to admit their children to government schools and strengthen the public education system, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
However, the programme took an unexpected turn when a villager questioned the teachers: “Why are your own children studying in private schools while you ask us to send ours to government schools?” The teachers were reportedly taken aback and unable to provide a clear response.
The villager added, “Everyone wants a government job, but when it comes to education, they choose private schools.”
Speaking to The New Indian Express, Student Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor B Rahul said that the RTE Act has not been properly implemented for years in the region. "The government should take firm measures to enforce the act, which would benefit poor families," he said.
He acknowledged that the government is making efforts to strengthen the public education system, such as distributing uniforms and textbooks to students on the first day of school and launching pre-primary classes in select mandals to compete with private schools.
When contacted, Nirmal District Educational Officer Rama Rao said the issue of RTE implementation is currently sub judice.
