Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau
Government wants to snatch away the right to education from poor families-Kumari Selja
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, March 31, 2024: The General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee and former Union Minister, Kumari Selja said that the BJP's state government wants to snatch away the right to education from millions of poor families. Despite the provision for free education up to the 8th grade in government schools, books have not yet been reached.
The BJP government, which ended the education rule section 134A, has not been able to facilitate admissions in private schools under the Chirag scheme, even as the academic session is starting on 1 April.
In a statement released to the media, Kumari Selja said that the Right to Education is a contribution of the Congress government. With the objective of providing education to every home and child, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's government implemented it across the country.
"The state had a system to admit children from poor families into private schools under the Right to Education and Education Rule 134A. However, the BJP government ended Education Rule 134A and came up with the Chirag scheme, under which not a single admission has taken place for the new academic session," she said.
The former Union Minister said that last year, students in government schools received books five months late. After raising a hue and cry, the government promised to deliver books before the new session this time, but the reality is different. In seven districts - Fatehabad, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonipat, Yamunanagar, and Jhajjar, not a single book for classes 6 to 8 has been reached. In Rewari and Mahendragarh districts, books for the third grade have not arrived.
Kumari Selja said that the state government intends not to provide education to children from poor families. Therefore, the condition of government schools is not being improved. If the level of education in government schools is fixed, then people would not need to turn to private schools. However, due to collusion with the school mafia, no deficiencies in government schools, including buildings and staff, are being addressed.
The former Union Minister Selja said that if the state government wishes, it could facilitate admissions for children under the Chirag scheme in a day, but it lacks the will to do so. There is collusion with private schools, hence, children and their parents are being made to run around, so they give up their right to admission in private schools themselves.