Discrimination against private-school students under a special quota for the underprivileged: a case in India

Abstract

The Indian government enacted the Right to Education Act (RTE) to provide free and compulsory elementary education to all economically underprivileged children between ages 6 and 14. All schools, including private schools, are required to reserve 25% of their enrollment slots for such students, with the government shouldering their fees. While student enrollment has increased, some challenges have emerged in the schooling of RTE students. We surveyed the parents of 400 RTE students and interviewed five private-school principals. Findings showed that private schools practice discrimination against RTE students, who are susceptible to various risks. Private schools argue that for the past several years, the government has not paid the fees for these students. Based on the social equity theory of education, we suggest that the fees of underprivileged students be charged to the majority of upper- and middle-class students.