Mangaluru: 121 Private schools in Dakshina Kannada directed to refund excess RTE reimbursement fees

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, October 27, 2024: The Karnataka Education Department has instructed 121 private English medium schools in Dakshina Kannada to refund "excess funds" paid as fee reimbursement for students admitted under the Right to Education (RTE) quota during 2013-2015.

Mangaluru South Block Education Officer James Cutina confirmed that a meeting was held with representatives from over 52 schools in his jurisdiction, where they were directed to refund the overpaid amount. The directive follows audit objections raised by the Hassan DDPI (administration).

While some schools have complied, others are resisting, citing discrepancies in reimbursement rates. “We spent more than the government’s fixed amount of Rs 8,000 for pre-primary and Rs 16,000 for primary students,” a school principal noted, claiming actual reimbursements rarely exceeded Rs 5,000 for pre-primary and Rs 11,000 for primary.

Most schools in Mangaluru North, Cutina noted, have refused to repay, presenting audited reports and questioning the department’s calculations. A few schools, however, have refunded the excess to avoid departmental pressure, according to Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Private English Medium Schools Association President K. Ravindra Shetty.

The Commissioner for Public Instruction is expected to issue further directions on the matter, which is part of a state-wide initiative to reclaim excess RTE reimbursements, said Director of Public Instruction (Primary Education) Syprian Montheiro.