Despite RTE Act, Parents Say Authorities Failed to Ensure Alternative Admission After School Closure
Published on: May 31, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
A serious lapse in the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act has come to light in Rajnandgaon, where the closure of Karma Vidyalaya, located in Hiramoti Line, has left numerous underprivileged students without access to education. These students were previously admitted under the RTE quota, which guarantees free education in private schools for children from economically weaker sections.
According to multiple complaints submitted to the District Collector by aggrieved parents, Karma Vidyalaya ceased operations last year. Since then, the RTE-enrolled children who were studying at the school have not been relocated to any other private institution, despite the mandate that such students must be allowed to continue their education uninterrupted until Class 12.
Parents claim that despite frequent visits to the District Education Officer’s office, no action has been taken. They are now concerned about their children’s academic future. “We are forced to run from pillar to post. Our children have already lost valuable academic time,” said one parent who did not wish to be named.
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Christopher Paul, President of the Chhattisgarh Parents Association, condemned the negligence and warned that this is not an isolated case. “Back in 2020, nearly 20 private schools shut down in the district, and the RTE students there were also denied education for two years. Only after we approached the court were they admitted to government English-medium schools,” Paul stated.
He added that the situation has repeated itself with Karma Vidyalaya and that the administration appears indifferent. “This is a gross violation of the RTE Act and a criminal disregard for the education rights of the poor,” Paul asserted.
The Association has formally written to the District Collector, urging immediate relocation of all affected students. “If our demands are not met, we will move the court again,” Paul warned.
Under the RTE Act, the state is required to not only provide free education to underprivileged children but also ensure that if an RTE-admitted school shuts down, students are smoothly transferred to other institutions. However, activists allege that implementation remains mostly on paper, with parents often forced to bear the cost of uniforms, books, and other essentials — defeating the very purpose of the Act.
The case highlights the growing concern about education access for the poor and the administrative failure to uphold laws designed to protect children’s rights to education.
