Section 12 of the Right to Education Act (RTE) requires every unaided non-minority recognized private schools to reserve minimum 25% seats in Nursery / Class 1 for children from disadvantaged and economically weaker section. It's constitutional validity was established by the honorable Supreme Court of India in a landmark judgment on 12 Apr 2012

Uttar Pradesh accounts for 30% of country’s total RTE seats (21L); Fill rate is dismally low with only 108 admissions in the last four years in the entire state; Reason:defiant powerful private School lobby despite a mandatory Supreme Court Ruling and biased state's policy.

Bharat Abhyudaya Foundation(BAF) is spearheading the implementation of ‘Right to Education (RTE)’Act primarily Section 12 in the state of Uttar Pradesh at both policy as well as execution level for the past 2 years.

With BAF's intense efforts in the last two years, the government of UP for the first time started to make serious efforts with new govt. circulars and admission guidelines issued on 06 Jan 2015, 10 Feb 2015 and 17 Mar'15.  

Under this scheme, history has been created this year with more than 60 different private schools giving RTE admissions to over 500 EWS children in Lucknow while complying with the RTE Act. More than 1500 admissions have already taken place across 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh covering 120+ schools overall.

City Montessori school (CMS), Guinness record holder for the largest school chain in the world, is the only school that is taking unfair advantage of their resources and powerful position and denying rightful admissions to 31 children from disadvantaged group as well as economically weaker section. Instead they approached high court where they received no relief either. This denial of the Constitutional Act by CMS despite three government notices and no stay order is tantamount to contempt of the Supreme Court.

The only intent of CMS in this case is to stall and delay the admission process. However, till CMS gets the stay order (if at all) they are constitutionally bound to take admissions under the RTE Act, Section 12. CMS has thrice turned down the state’s notice of admitting 31 poor children openly flouting the law and violating the apex court order while boasting of their powerful status.

CMS authorities misbehaved with 31 parents when they approached the school on April 16, 2015 after the deadline for admission completion passed. Aggrieved and devastated, parents staged a peaceful protest outside the school that was led by BAF and Magsaysay awardee Dr. Sandeep Pandey.

We request everyone to support the cause against CMS which is clearly violating the Right to Education Act and help the 31 poor children in getting their rightful admissions in CMS. 

It is not just about one particular school but about establishment of law in the state that is equally binding on all, irrespective of their status, resources and strength. No powerful institution can be allowed to manipulate policies and their implementation at their convenience while undermining the fundamental rights of 50 Lac poor children and their parents.

Join the movement!!

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Bharat Abhyudaya Foundation (BAF) is a not-for-profit organization founded by a group of young and energetic IIM / Harvard graduates who wanted to explore the reality beyond the mirage of their Ivy League institutes and US jobs. Since 2012, BAF is committed to the cause of elementary education reform at institutional level while working closely with the civil societies as well as the government in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

BAF is spearheading the implementation of ‘Right to Education (RTE)’Act primarily Section 12 (25% reservation for poor children in recognized unaided private non-minority schools) in the state of Uttar Pradesh at both policy as well as execution level for the past 2 years.