HYDERABAD: Implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act continues to be a distant dream in many schools in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the districts as a staggering 94% primary schools have failed to comply with 10 essential parameters under RTE. Shockingly, a meagre seven per cent schools in Hyderabad — 127 of 1,719 schools — meet the parameters, including 25% reservation for students from economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society in private schools, a central government study says.Seven years after the RTE Act was implemented, data compiled by the Unified District Information System of Education (UDISE) for the year 2016-17 shows only six per cent (2,499) of the 41,337 primary schools — both private and government — in the state comply with the 10 parameters laid down under RTE Act. Apart from reservation, other parameters include, teacher pupil ratio of 1:30, building, office for headmaster, ramp for differently-abled students, separate toilets for boys and girls, drinking water facility, kitchen shed, boundary wall and playground.The UDISE figures indicate that in some districts, less than 100 schools meet RTE norms . These include Nalgonda, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Medak and Nizamabad.The school managements have squarely blamed the state government over RTE implementation. “We have submitted several representations in the past showing our willingness to implement RTE parameters including 25% reservation for EWS students provided the government reimburses their fees. However, the government has failed to consider them as they are of the view that it will burden them further,” said Srinivas Reddy, president of Telangana Recognised School Managements Association.While the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) is the nodal agency to oversee RTE implementation, absence of the same in Telangana has further affected monitoring. “After 2017, the SCPCR has not been constituted by Telangana government. The SCPCR has quasi body powers to take action against institutions which fail to comply with norms. However, absence of the body has severely affected child right violation cases including those occurring in schools,” said Achyutha Rao, former member of SCPCR.Acknowledging the need to comprehensively hear pleas pertaining to RTE Act, the Hyderabad HC too had come down strongly upon Telangana government in March, 2018 and sought explanation over steps taken to implement RTE along with the government’s failure to do so till now.

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