Delhi fares well in economically weaker sections admission

Delhi can give itself a small pat on the back. Though there is still much ground to be covered, the implementation of the Right to Education Act's Section 12(1)(c), which requires private-unaided schools to reserve 25% seats for kids from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups (DG), has been most successful in Delhi.

The capital not only has the highest percentage of seats in this quota filled—92.08%— there is also a relatively high degree of clarity on the relevant processes and policies. The national fill rate of EWS seats is 29% and the total number of seats is 21 lakh.

The Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Central Square Foundation, and Accountability Initiative and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy have studied data from the District Information System for Education for 2013-14 and government notifications to assess the success rate of the 25% EWS-DG quota across states. 'State of the Nation: RTE Section 12(1)(c)', released in Delhi on Tuesday, also looked into the states' definitions of various criteria, the level of clarity and transparency in the processes involved and the finances.

Delhi has checked most boxes when it came to defining criteria. Eligibility criteria and documents required were clear. There was clarity on the type of information to be shared and the channel to be used. Selection process was transparent at least in theory. And it has a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) too. This is unlike Bihar—with a fill rate of 20.78%—which didn't seem to have a clear idea of anything beyond the definition of EWS-DG, neighbourhood criteria and appointing various authorities.

Even Chhattisgarh, with a relatively high fill rate of 63.1%, was low on clarity. The worst performing states managed to define EWS and neighbourhood, and SCPCRs.

The fuzziest part of the system is finance. "The process of cost calculation and reimbursement to private schools is opaque," the report said. "Information on costs per child is not available in the public domain for most states. Where this information exists, there is no clarity on methodology adopted by state governments to calculate these costs. Also, there is no tracking system to enable the public and schools to track the flow of reimbursement from government to schools," it stated. The report also pointed out that there was confusion about who should foot the bills for textbooks, uniforms and midday meals—some states reimburse schools for these, some don't.

Source: TOI |http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Delhi-fares-well-in-economically-weaker-sections-admission/articleshow/46682595.cms