A group of parents has halted their protest.

The Odisha Parents' Federation, a group advocating for the rights of students and parents, had been protesting against private schools for ignoring the Right to Education Act. However, on Tuesday, they decided to suspend their agitation for two days after receiving assurances from the Schools and Mass Education Minister, Nityananda Gond, that action would be taken. It is said that the minister promised to hold a meeting with department officials to address the issue.

The parents' body had begun a hunger strike in front of the elementary education office, demanding strict action against the Director and Block Education Officer of Bhubaneswar for not adhering to the RTE Act's provision of reserving 25% of seats for students from economically weaker sections. They also demanded that the RTE Act be extended to cover classes IX to XII, as is the practice in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. Additionally, they called for schools to provide books, uniforms, and shoes to students, as well as filling vacancies in classes II to VIII through the 'RTE Paradarshi portal'.

In a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the OPF President Basudev Bhatta expressed disappointment with the government's failure to protect the rights of parents and students in implementing the RTE Act in Odisha. Bhatta also pointed out the role of the Director of Elementary Education in causing confusion and preventing students from EWS from getting admission in private schools.

The federation accused the Director and the BEO of Bhubaneswar of violating the RTE Act by denying admission to 120 students in four private schools, despite their selection through the 'Paradarshi portal'. The portal showed that these students had applied for admission and were allotted seats by the Director in various private schools across Odisha. However, these schools refused to admit the students in Class I, despite the allocation. The federation had made multiple appeals to the Director to intervene, but their requests went unanswered.

It is a relief that the parents' body has decided to pause their protest for two days, giving the authorities a chance to address their concerns. The OPF's efforts to ensure that the rights of students and parents are protected under the RTE Act are commendable, and we hope that the government will take swift action to resolve the issue.

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