The Karnataka state government on Wednesday i.e 4th April 2019, has admitted that many Government schools in the state are on the verge of closure as they did not have enough students. Considering the plight of Government schools The State Govt. has amended rules of RTE Act.
This was the main reason why Government Of Karnataka, bought amendments to the Right to Education (RTE) Act, barring parents from seeking admission under RTE in private schools if there was a government or aided school in their locality.
Making a submission before a division bench of the Acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice PS Dinesh Kumar, Advocate General Uday Holla said that there was a considerable reduction in admission to government schools with many recording zero admissions after the act came into force. The High Court is hearing a petition filed by RTE Students and Parents association against the amendment. Holla also submitted that there was an increase in the number of private schools post the act while government schools were closing down.
The Advocate-General contended that the state was not shirking its responsibilities but was only looking to strengthen government schools. He also argued that students attending government schools would become better citizens than those in private schools.
The Government incurred an expenditure of Rs. 1,269.29 crore towards reimbursement of pre-child expenditure to the private unaided schools from from 2012-13 to 2018-19, Advocate-General argued.
