Woman of 'principals' is at the school door

She’s the person school principals would rather not have to deal with. “Well,” says Sunita Chouhan, 36, thinking about it. “That could be because I refuse to leave until the poor, underprivileged children I bring along are admitted into various government schools under provisions of the Right to Education Act,” she smiles.
Sunita has built quite a reputation as an RTE warrior.Whenever she is refused, she immediately writes to the CM, chief justice of the Delhi high court and education officers till the child is admitted. A principal of an MCD school learnt it the hard way when the name of Kajal, a weak Class III student, was removed from the rolls. “When I asked him why, I was given various excuses — the child was mad, was a thief….I refused to give up and badgered the principal till she was taken back. Today, Kajal is in Class XII,” says Sunita.
Like Kajal, there are many children who are refused admission despite the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, making it compulsory for schools to enroll at least 25% of students from disadvantaged and weaker sections. And it is the selflessness of committed volunteers like Sunita which has got many poor students into the mainstream of society.
For Sunita this is a mission. “I have been teaching small kids for free since 1999. Seeing my interest, I was enrolled as a volunteer by some NGOs and there has been no looking back,” she says.
This mother of two would often land up at schools with a few kids and ask that they be admitted under RTE. Principals hated her, baulked at seeing her. “They would shamelessly ask me money for admissions, demand birth certificates, residence proofs and affi - davits when, in fact, none is needed. I would often be thrown out,” she recalls.
If nothing worked, she would appeal to NGOs. Ashok Agarwal, a member of Social Jurist, a group of lawyers and activists, says, “Sunita is a real fighter. Armed with grit and gumption, she refuses to give in till the child is admitted to school.”
But when kids thank her, it compensates for all her hard work and trouble. “This is my certificate. And RTE makes this possible,” she says.
Using RTE
The child should be between 6-14 years
Ask for admission under RTE; the school should provide a class appropriate to the child’s age
No need for any documents or admission tests
If a school denies admission, complain to the education department