Nuapada, May 7: The department of SC and ST development in Nuapada district is embroiled in a controversy after it conducted an entrance test of students for admission into the Ekalabya Model Residential School for SC and ST here.
By conducting an entrance test the concerned authorities are said to have violated the Right to Education Act which emphasises upon free and compulsory elementary education and prevents any kind of screening test to select students for admission.
The department of SC and ST has opened the Ekalabya Model Residential School in Nuapada and 10 other districts for the SC and ST students. On March 18, the welfare department of Nuapada published an advertisement in newspapers inviting applications for admission into Class VI.
A total of 188 students had applied for 60 seats. On April 24, the entrance test was held in which 172 students took part. In the evening the results were declared and the authorities shortlisted 45 students, including 30 girl students and another 50 students of whom 30 seats were meant for the boys.
Many parents, however, were not happy as the entrance had been held for admission into the school. Papud Sabar of Palsipani village at Komna block said: “We have been informed that no school can hold entrance test to select students for admission. However, they have done it here by violating the Right to Education Act. I have intimated my concern to the proper authority.”
Bhakta Dharua, father of a student who appeared in the test, said that it was unfortunate that the Act had been violated. “I know that many schools are resorting to other methods to select students for admission. However, they are not holding any entrance test,” he said.
According to Section 13 (2) of the Right to Education Act, no school can subject children to screening test. If they do so, they can be punishable with fine that may extend to Rs 25,000 for first contravention and Rs 50,000 for each subsequent contravention.
District welfare officer (DWO) of Nuapada Krupasindhu Behera said the selection had been done as per a direction from the department.
“We had an order from the Orissa Model Tribal Education Society (OMTES) which asked us to conduct a screening test to select students. We only carried out the order,” Behera said.