Why are Maharashtra parents losing interest in RTE admissions at private schools?

Response to centralised admissions for reserved seats at private unaided schools in Maharashtra has declined, with only 44,000 parents registered so far

Mumbai: As the state approaches the deadline for claiming reserved seats at private unaided schools for marginalised groups in two days, the response to the centralised admission process has notably declined. Merely 44,000 parents have registered thus far, a stark contrast to last year’s staggering 3.64 lakh applications.

The state government has approved the decision to start ‘cluster schools’ for students studying in low-ranking schools in remote areas of Maharashtra. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The poor response comes after the Maharashtra government excluded unaided or self-financed schools near government-supported ones from the centralised admissions. This decision has left many parents unable to select their preferred private schools, with only government and aided schools as viable options. Consequently, disheartened parents are opting out of the process altogether.

Data from the admission portal paints a bleak picture, with most districts struggling to surpass the 1,000-registration mark.Some districts, like Sindhudurg and Gadchiroli, have fewer than 100 aspirants. Pune leads with over 12,000 registrations, trailed by Nagpur (6,002) and Thane (3,214). Notably, Mumbai records less than 2,000 registrations as of Saturday evening.

Under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 25% of the seats in private unaided schools are reserved for economically weaker and disadvantaged sections, except those run by religious and linguistic minorities. However, a recent amendment exempts private unaided schools within a one-kilometer radius of government and aided schools from this provision. Consequently, parents are first allotted seats in nearby government and aided schools, with private unaided schools considered only if government-supported seats are unavailable.

“The RTE admissions enabled us to enrol our children in schools that were beyond our financial reach,” said Sanjay Patil, a father from Bhandup. “However, this year, the admission portal only has vernacular medium aided and government schools, which was already accessible to us. Two years ago, my nephew secured admission to an English-medium school through RTE. Given our satisfaction with the school’s educational standards and faculty, we intended to enrol our daughter there as well. But this option is no longer viable. We can’t afford the expenses of this school.”

The controversial rule change faces legal scrutiny as multiple petitions have been filed in the Bombay high court. A writ petition filed by the Anudanit Shiksha Bachao Samiti (ASBS) awaits a hearing on April 29.

Another Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Parivartan Samajik Bahuddeshiya Sanstha and others prompted a hearing, with the bench seeking a reply from the state School Education Department by May 8.