Pune's first International Baccalaureate (IB) school told Bombay high court "it was not a school, it had no links to the Indian educational system and thus it did not come under the ambit of the Right to Education (RTE) Act". The assertion led to a bench headed by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur to ask who the school was then answerable to and "how does it help the Indian economy"?
Sathe argued "this is a standalone academy recognized by the IB Organization in Switzerland. The school gives a disclaimer that it is not recognized or affiliated to any board or university in India and hence cannot be subject to RTE."
Sathe further added "This is globalization" when Chief Justice Chellur asked how a Swiss academy was setting up school "on our land, using our resources."
The school run by Mercedes-Benz Education Academy was established in 1998 and has 280 students studying across primary, medium and diploma sections from ages 6 to 18. In conventional schools, it would be the equivalent to standards one to 12. The high court bench, including Justice M S Sonak, asked the state government and the Centre to file their replies within two weeks on why an IB school should not be under RTE. The petition was filed through advocate Kiran Bapat in 2015 but was heard for the first time on Thursday.
Tags: Ib School
School
Justice Manjula Chellur
Indian Economy
Rte
