Protesters demand immediate start of RTE admissions in current academic year

COIMBATORE: Social activists and members of the public held an attention-seeking protest in Coimbatore demanding the immediate start of the Right to Education Act admissions in the current academic year.

The protest happened outside Kikani School where school education minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi was attending a programme. They shouted slogans.V Eswaran, an activist and the founder of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam, led the protest and asked why the state govt was not ready to open admissions under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act). He said, "Nearly 1.5 lakh students from deprived communities were denied education by not implementing the Act this year.

Nearly five lakh students are affected by the non-payment for the RTE, and the govt seems to be least bothered about their education. If the state didn't receive the funds from 2021 to 2025, why did they fail to appeal in court."He stated that they would file a contempt of court against the state govt for not acting upon the Madras high court's order to implement the RTE without waiting for funds from the Union govt. He said, "If the state wishes to go for further appeal, it is welcomed. But that should not be at the stake of students' education. This not only affects new admissions but creates a problem for the existing students benefiting from the RTE.”