The Karnataka Education Department has ordered 121 private English medium schools in Dakshina Kannada to return excess fees reimbursed under the Right to Education (RTE) quota from 2013 to 2015. Mangaluru South Block Education Officer, James Cutina, confirmed that a recent meeting directed schools to refund the overpaid amounts following audit objections raised by the Hassan DDPI.
Schools Challenge Reimbursement Rates
While some schools complied, others argued that they spent more than the government’s set reimbursement—Rs 8,000 for pre-primary and Rs 16,000 for primary—claiming actual reimbursements often fell short. Several schools, particularly in Mangaluru North, provided audited reports disputing the department’s calculations. A few schools have repaid the excess to avoid pressure from the department, according to K. Ravindra Shetty, President of the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Private English Medium Schools Association.
The Commissioner for Public Instruction is expected to offer further guidelines as part of a state-wide effort to reclaim excess RTE reimbursements.
Read More: