Schools will have to issue forms for students eligible through the right to education (RTE) quota from January 11, a circular from the education department has said. Schools have received an admission schedule on the implementation of the RTE Act clause  making it compulsory for schools to set aside up to 25% of their strength for poor children at the entry level. Though the main circular says all schools will have to follow the Act, the timetable attached has mentioned that unaided minority schools will not have to follow the 25% rule.

There had been some confusion on the quota admissions, since an amendment to the Act had not mentioned unaided minority schools in the exempted category, even though a Supreme Court order in April had said they were exempt.

The director of school education in Pune issued the circular dated December 5. This has been circulated among Mumbai schools from the deputy director’s office over the last two days.

However, department officials have said unofficially that unaided minority schools might have to follow the 25% clause depending on further instructions from the state government that are still awaited.

“According to this circular, unaided minority schools have been exempted but this may not be final,” said an education department official.