Why did the Maharashtra govt amend the Right to Education Act?

In a move that has sparked a heated debate over education equity, Maharashtra recently amended the Right to Education (RTE) Act, diluting the obligation on private schools to reserve 25 per cent of seats for disadvantaged students. This amendment, similar to rules in Karnataka and Kerala, exempts private schools within a one-km radius of government or aided schools from this requirement, reports the Scroll.

The RTE Act, enacted in 2009, mandates that private schools reserve a quarter of their seats for children from “weaker section and disadvantaged group in the neighbourhood”. However, Maharashtra's recent rule change stipulates that private unaided schools situated near government or aided schools need not comply with this provision, said a report by the Indian Express.

So now students from marginalised backgrounds will first be considered for admission into government or aided schools in Maharashtra.

This move by the Maharashtra government has garnered varied responses, while private unaided schools have welcomed the change, critics argue that it undermines the core principles of the RTE Act aimed at ensuring equal access to quality education, the report added.

One detrimental outcome of the amendment is the potential segregation of children based on caste and class. This will result in students from affluent backgrounds being concentrated in private schools, while those from disadvantaged backgrounds are confined to government-run schools.

RTE Act's provision for 25 per cent reservation was aimed to address educational disparities and promote inclusivity by providing disadvantaged students access to better educational opportunities. By exempting certain private schools from this obligation, Maharashtra government has given an open invitation to inequality.

“The small window through which some disadvantaged students got to access good education in private schools is now being effectively closed,” Matin Mujawar, a Pune-based RTE activist told the Indian Express.

Are we come back to the days when a student of certain class can not even get the same education or sit on the same bench as a another student of a different class? Are our gears stuck in reverse such that instead of moving forward, we seem to be moving a little backwards slowly.