AGARTALA: A few government-run English medium schools in Agartala has witnessed chaotic situations at the beginning of the current academic session reportedly due to implementation of Right to Education Act (REA).
State Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty told media here on Tuesday the state government had set up a few English medium schools in Agartala to compete the private convent schools and facilitate the poor meritorious students.
However the Right to Education Act (REA) had created new problem for the management of the schools.
“According to the Act no student can be declined admission in any government or government-aided school in the state, as it universalised the right to education and as a result, pressure on two-three government English medium schools has become unmanageable,” said Mr Chakraborty.
He, however, pointed out the new Act has put bar on conducting admission test.
The state government had devised a mechanism in the rules that the children within one kilometer radius would be given preference in admission in all the schools and in case of more applicants, authority would resort to lottery. This would bring education near home.
“Ultimately, all the aspirants would not get admission in targeted schools that may also deprive the deserving students from the opportunity to study in those schools,” he said, indicating the phenomena might be leading to a good competition among other schools or it may be reversed.
Mr Chakraborty underlined that the admission had been facing troubles mainly at primary and pre-primary level in English Medium schools of Agartala mainly due to excessive capital-centric flow of student from the townships.
He also informed that government English medium schools in other sub-divisions had been functioning in vernacular medium of instruction and added Agartala-centric influx of students from the sub-divisions has increased much which has, in turn, impacted the implementation of REA devastatingly. (UNI)