The Supreme Court today referred to the five-judge constitution bench a bunch of petitions challenging the validity of the law providing free and compulsory education.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia said that the the matter will be put before a larger bench of five judges to pass direction on the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of provisions in the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act.

The petitions claimed that the Act providing free and compulsory education was "unconstitutional" and "violative" of fundamental rights.

The Act made free and compulsory education a fundamental right for children between 6-14 years, besides mandating that even private educational institutions have to reserve 25 per cent of the seats for children from poor families.