Nagpur: Maharashtra The Association of English School Trustees (MEsta) says that minority schools should ensure that they meet the criteria set by the government. The minority status for schools falls under the religious and linguistic category and while there are many terms and conditions for this, the biggest concerns admission.
At least 50% seats in a minority class school should be for that particular category of students.
Sanjay Tayde-Patil, Founder-President, Mesta said, “We want that all the criteria should be met. Schools should ensure that admissions take place accordingly.”
Minority status for schools also comes with some ‘perks’, as it exempts them from RTE admissions, gives more control over hiring staff, etc. The latter comes into play more for financially aided schools, whose salaries come from state coffers.
What Mesta was alluding to is one of the most common complaints against minority schools, which is whether they have more than 50% of their students belonging to the same minority status. Some activists demanded that the minority status of such schools be revoked.
In Nagpur in 2016, the education department sent notices to over a dozen minority schools where admission figures are high. The department wanted to know whether half of their students were minorities. But then a ‘technical’ problem arose.
An education officer, now retired, who was actively involved in the issue, said it was not appropriate to pursue any action when he heard the feedback from the schools.
“Schools are given minority status on the basis of religion like Sikh, Zoroastrian, Christian, Muslim etc. In Nagpur, we also have linguistic minority schools that cater to North or South Indian language speaking students. The problem is that schools are ready to give admission but students from that particular minority are not coming there.
The rule states that at least half the seats should be for minority students. “But is it the fault of the schools that they are unable to get admission from students who fall in that category? If they deny entry, action can be taken,” said the official.
At least 50% seats in a minority class school should be for that particular category of students.
Sanjay Tayde-Patil, Founder-President, Mesta said, “We want that all the criteria should be met. Schools should ensure that admissions take place accordingly.”
Minority status for schools also comes with some ‘perks’, as it exempts them from RTE admissions, gives more control over hiring staff, etc. The latter comes into play more for financially aided schools, whose salaries come from state coffers.
What Mesta was alluding to is one of the most common complaints against minority schools, which is whether they have more than 50% of their students belonging to the same minority status. Some activists demanded that the minority status of such schools be revoked.
In Nagpur in 2016, the education department sent notices to over a dozen minority schools where admission figures are high. The department wanted to know whether half of their students were minorities. But then a ‘technical’ problem arose.
An education officer, now retired, who was actively involved in the issue, said it was not appropriate to pursue any action when he heard the feedback from the schools.
“Schools are given minority status on the basis of religion like Sikh, Zoroastrian, Christian, Muslim etc. In Nagpur, we also have linguistic minority schools that cater to North or South Indian language speaking students. The problem is that schools are ready to give admission but students from that particular minority are not coming there.
The rule states that at least half the seats should be for minority students. “But is it the fault of the schools that they are unable to get admission from students who fall in that category? If they deny entry, action can be taken,” said the official.