CBSE’s free education for girl child still pending

Ludhiana – Being the parent of a single girl child, the central government and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) gives you the facility of free education for your child from Class VI to XII. But don’t be surprised if school authorities refuse to oblige. No one, including the HRD ministry (the brainchild behind the move), education department and district administration, are keeping a check on schools.

Gurbaksh Singh, a resident of Salem Tabri and father of Simranjeet Kaur, a student of Class IX, GMT Public School, Jalandhar Bypass said he is trying to avail the facility but has only faced disappointment. “My daughter is in Class IX. In an RTI, the school claimed they would provide scholarship from Class IX onwards. But it is written in the CBSE circular that the scheme of scholarship and not free education is still pending in the Delhi high court. I have no idea if we will get free education for my daughter or scholarship or nothing.”

In 2005, the HRD ministry announced, “In a major initiative for girls’ education in the country, the government has decided that every single girl child will be eligible for free education from class VI to XII from the current financial year.”

Later, the CBSE passed a circular with a few alterations. It said, “As per the new scholarship scheme, all single girl children who secure 60% or more marks in their Class X examination from the year 2006 onwards will be given scholarship of Rs 500 per month for studying in Classes XI and XII in schools that charge tuition fee of not more than Rs 1,000 per month during the academic year 2005-06.”

It also said the modifications are subject to the final outcome of the writ petition pending before the Delhi high court. Meanwhile, schools are reluctant to obey the directive.

Principal of GMT Public School Amarjeet Kaur Dhaliwal said, “I cannot give any statement or any facility without the permission of our management.” According to principal of Kundan Vidya Mandir, Navita Puri, “Our school is not providing any facility related to the single girl child. Although the CBSE has asked us to provide this benefit, we can’t provide the facility. In fact, I feel parents of the single girl child can take care of their child. If they can’t we can’t help them.”

Neelam Mittal, principal BVM school, Kitchlu Nagar said, “We are following the CBSE circular and giving benefits to the single girl child in our school.”

“The circular is the last update about the whole topic. If in the circular, it is still mentioned that the final outcome over the alteration is pending, then it must be pending,” said RJ Khanderao, regional head, CBSE.