Chennai: Coming to the rescue of three
socially and economically backward children, who were
allegedly denied entry into class rooms due to non payment of
fees, the Madras High Court has directed the schools to permit
the students to attend classes and recover the fees from the
Tamil Nadu government under the Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education (RCFCE) Act.
Delivering his order on petitions filed by K Sivakumar and
P Mohan, daily wage earners belonging to the Scheduled Castes,
Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar also directed the state
authorities to supply free books and uniforms to the three
students concerned.
While Sivakumar`s son Latchumana Kumar is a class one
student in a school at Veppur in Cuddalore district, Mohan`s
sons M Vishnu and M Sathya are studying in class VI and IV
respectively at Thandalam, Thiruporur in Kancheepuram
district.
The petitioners alleged that their children were not
allowed to enter their respective classrooms as they had not
paid the school fees.
They were also not provided with free uniforms and
textbooks as announced by the state government, they said.
The petitioner`s counsel M Pari contended that under the
RCFCE Act every child up to 14 years was entitled to get free
and compulsory education at the nearest school, even if they
were unaided schools.
Children belonging to disadvantaged groups and weaker
sections had also been mentioned in the legislation for the
purpose of free education; he said and claimed that the Tamil
Nadu Government had not issued directions to unaided
managements to reserve 25 per cent of the strength to weaker
sections without collecting any fee.
The court has posted the matter for November 21.
PTI
