Special Correspondent
Pune: Nearly 35,000 private English-medium schools in Maharashtra are threatening to boycott the upcoming student admission process under the Right to Education (RTE) Act due to a backlog of approximately Rs 2,400 crore in fee reimbursements. The schools are demanding the immediate release of the overdue amount, which has been pending for the past nine years.
Under the RTE Act, private schools are required to reserve 25 percent of their seats for students from economically weaker sections. The state government is responsible for reimbursing schools for the education costs incurred for these students. However, the schools have expressed frustration over the delayed payments and the mounting arrears.
Partial Payment Made, But Schools Demand Full Reimbursement
Recently, the Maharashtra government released a partial payment of Rs 45 crore to schools that have implemented the RTE admission process. While this installment provides some relief, it falls far short of the total amount owed to the schools.
The director of primary education had requested additional funds from the government, resulting in an allocation of Rs 173 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal year. Earlier this year, Rs 69.20 crore was disbursed, and the state has prioritized reimbursements for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years.
To facilitate the reimbursement process, schools are required to upload detailed fee structures for classes 1 to 8 on the SARAL or RTE portals, along with certificates of RTE recognition. The government also mandates that Aadhaar cards of all students be registered on the portal. Only 25 percent of the total number of students will be considered for RTE reimbursements.
