To continue or not: Poor students find RTE's class 9 question heart-breaking

Parents from disadvantaged sections are either scrambling for money to ensure their kids continue at same pvt school or are trying to convince their wards to shift to govt school

-  SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR

S Sekar, a mechanic from Pammal in the district, is faced with a difficult task. He has to convince his daughter, who had been studying at a private school under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, to get her transferred to a government school for class 9. Last week, he paid the pending dues at the private school and obtained her transfer certificate. However, his daughter is devastated.

"I earn ₹400 per day. In 2014, I enrolled my daughter in a private school after hearing from my neighbours about admissions under the RTE Act. Since there were not many takers for RTE seats then, my daughter got admission easily. Now, she doesn't want to leave the school, but I can't afford the full fees in the private school. She is scared of shifting herself to a Tamil medium school. Studies apart, she is also leaving all her friends and has to shift to a new environment," said Sekar with regret.