UT schools get RTE directives sans Patil's nod

Chandigarh : While the UT District Education Officer has already begun issuing instructions to city private schools for the implementation of various postulates of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009), the draft rules are yet to reach UT Administrator Shivraj Patil for his approval. According to a highly placed administration official, the draft rules or guidelines have not been approved so far either by the Advisor or the Administrator. “The education department has formed the rules but they have not been approved as yet. The Act may have been notified in the country but our local draft rules are yet to be given a final nod. As per information provided by the education department they are still being deliberated upon,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Reacting to the ongoing tiff between private schools and the UT Education department over the conditions laid down in the Act, the official concerned said, “ Its not just in UT but everywhere in country. Confusion continues to haunt the ACT and even MHRD officials, who are unclear about various postulates. What is creating trouble between the Education department and city schools is the fact that each claims to be an expert on the Act. They need to solve their queries amicably,” he said. Meanwhile, Education Secretary Ram Niwas, District Education Officer Chanchal Singh and DPI (S) PK Sharma failed to answer to repeated phone calls made to them. An official of the education department said, “ As far as the rules are concerned the deliberations are on but we are forced to issue instructions. The private schools will go ahead with admissions and complete them without accommodating provisions of the Right To Education Act. Once the admissions are over, we will be left helpless so we want relevant postulates to be incorporated now.”