DoE officials told to expedite filling up of EWS seats in Delhi schools

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009, at least 25% of seats in entry-level classes have to be mandatorily reserved for EWS/DG (22%) and children with disabilities (3%).

Delhi government’s directorate of education (DoE) has asked its officials to ensure all vacant seats that are reserved for candidates under economically weaker sections (EWS)/disadvantaged groups (DG) and children with special needs (CWSN) categories in city’s private schools are filled up in the next 10 days.

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Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009, at least 25% of seats in entry-level classes have to be mandatorily reserved for EWS/DG (22%) and children with disabilities (3%).

In a directive to the deputy director of education of all districts on Thursday, the DoE said that it has learnt that some private schools did not give admission under the reserved category seats citing proportionately fewer admissions under the general (open seats) category in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

“In this regard, though already clarified, it is hereby directed once again that all private schools are bound to grant admission to all eligible EWS/DG and CWSN selected/allotted candidates irrespective of the number of general admissions,” said Yogesh Pal Singh, deputy director of education, private school branch, while direction officials to ensure admission within the next ten days.

The DoE’s directive comes days after the Delhi high court asked the city government on May 26 to take steps to ensure that the backlog of unfilled reserved seats -- under EWS and DG categories -- in private schools are filled up in the next five years in a phased manner. The court’s order came on an appeal by an NGO, Justice for All, challenging a single judge’s order declaring the last date of admission under EWS category be December 31 each year.

According to the Right to Education Act, the counsel said, there should not be any last date of admission, pointing out that because of this cut-off date, many admissions of EWS category students have been on hold as private schools routinely keep these children waiting despite being selected in a draw of lots.

During the case proceedings, the Delhi government’s standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi submitted that 132 private schools have prima facie been found to be violating the government’s direction on the admission of students in the EWS category, adding that notices have been issued to them.

Ekramul Haque, founder of Mission Taaleem, an organisation working in the field of school education, said schools dilly-dallying admission in reserved categories every year. “Parents have started approaching schools for admission and like every year, they are delaying the process and asking parents to come again later,” said Haque. He said while schools were required to give a receipt to parents mentioning that parents has approached them, most schools avoided giving any such receipt.