While most private schools are reluctant to grant admission to economically weaker section (EWS) category of students despite the 25 per cent quota mandated by the Right To Education (RTE) Act, those children who do manage to get admission are discriminated against and huniliated by teachers and fellow students. 

"Securing admission of their wards in EWS category in a private school is a hard nut to crack in itself, but even if they succeed, the hydra-headed monster in form of discrimination, rejection, intolerance and apathy confront their children. They are treated as outcastes by fellow students and even teachers," said Sumit Vohra, activist and founder of admissionnursery.com.

An EWS category parent who got her child successfully admitted in a private school said, "none of the fellow students share their lunch with my child. They avoid talking to her and even in her class she sits in a corner in the last bench."

The father of a three-year-old child of the EWS category studying in a private school spoke of his harrowing experience which highlighted the indifference of the authorities to EWS students and their parents. He said at a parent-teacher meeting he was made to wait for hours to meet the class teacher of his child. Only after all the other parents had left was he allowed in.

"The school maid carries the heavy bags of every child in nursery or class 1 from the school gate to their respective seats in classrooms but my little child has to carry her own as no maid touches her bag. They know that she belongs to a poor family and her mother earns her living by performing household chores," said a woman, whose 4-year-old daughter studies in a private school in the locality. 

Sumit Vohra said: "The parents of EWS category students are made to drink water from a tap located in the school grounds. They won't let EWS parents drink from the water cooler. In one school the EWS students are made to sit in a different classroom. “

"Such practices of demarcation and discrimination are highly unethical and immoral and are against the spirit of the Constitution ensuring equal treatment to all regardless of their socio-economic status or background," said an educationist.

Some private schools are also charging exorbitant fees from EWS category students for uniforms and stationery despite the guidelines that no fees should be levied on EWS category students and authorities have to bear all the costs, including course fees. 

The Statesman got hold of the fee receipt of one such child belonging to EWS category studying in a private school in which expenses related to course, uniform including tie and belt are charged for. 

"No such fees can be charged by private schools on students admitted under EWS category and any such misappropriation will invite legal action against them," said an education department official. 

Balicharan, who works for securing admission for ragpickers under EWS category in private schools, said: "In private schools they call these children 'quota-wala baacha' and even 'sweeper ki aulad' and they remain an unwanted part of the environment." 

The principal of Prathiba Vikas Vidlaya said, "One way to end this discrimination is to organise interactive sessions among the guardians of all children regardless of their socio-economic status with compulsory participation of all teachers and ensuring presence of children. It's a social problem and should be ended by collective effort and cooperation of all stakeholders including NGOs." 

A psychiatrist said "differentiation and outcaste approach towards children leaves an inerasable scar on the personality of the child which is not good for the physical, moral or emotional well being of a child.”