12. Extent of school's responsibility for free and compulsory education.—
(1) For the purposes of
this Act, a school,—
(a) specified in sub-clause
(i) of clause
(n) of section 2 shall provide free and compulsory
elementary education to all children admitted therein;
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(b) specified in sub-clause (ii) of clause
(n) of section 2 shall provide free and compulsory
elementary education to such proportion of children admitted therein as its annual recurring aid or
grants so received bears to its annual recurring expenses, subject to a minimum of twenty-five per
cent.;
(c) specified in sub-clauses (iii) and (iv) of clause
(n) of section 2 shall admit in class I, to the
extent of at least twenty-five per cent. of the strength of that class, children belonging to weaker
section and disadvantaged group in the neighbourhood and provide free and compulsory elementary
education till its completion:
Provided further that where a school specified in clause
(n) of section 2 imparts pre-school education,
the provisions of clauses
(a) to
(c) shall apply for admission to such pre-school education.
(2) The school specified in sub-clause (iv) of clause
(n) of section 2 providing free and compulsory
elementary education as specified in clause
(c) of sub-section
(1) shall be reimbursed expenditure so
incurred by it to the extent of per-child-expenditure incurred by the State, or the actual amount charged
from the child, whichever is less, in such manner as may be prescribed:
Provided that such reimbursement shall not exceed per-child-expenditure incurred by a school
specified in sub-clause
(i) of clause
(n) of section 2:
Provided further that where such school is already under obligation to provide free education to a
specified number of children on account of it having received any land, building, equipment or other
facilities, either free of cost or at a concessional rate, such school shall not be entitled for reimbursement
to the extent of such obligation.
(3) Every school shall provide such information as may be required by the appropriate Government or
the local authority, as the case may be.
