RTE admission process to restart, parents upset over delay

The high court stayed the state government’s notification dated February 9, 2024 due to which the education department will now have to re-implement the RTE admission process as before

Considering the high court order on the Right to Education (RTE) Act-related public interest litigation (PIL), the circulars dated March 6 and April 3, 2024, have been cancelled and the RTE admission process including self-financing schools, police welfare schools (unaided schools) and municipal schools (self-financing schools) will be carried out once again. However, parents are disappointed as there will be a delay yet again in the overall RTE admission process this year.

Under the RTE Act, the state government has directed the office of the director of primary education through a circular to implement the admission process for 25% reservation seats. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Divisional education officer of the state government, Ramdas Dhumal, has accordingly been instructed by the state director (primary education), Sharad Gosavi, to issue new circulars to implement the RTE admission process by including self-financing schools, police welfare schools (unaided schools) and municipal schools (self-financing schools).

Under the RTE Act, the state government has directed the office of the director of primary education through a circular to implement the admission process for 25% reservation seats. Earlier, the education department had mandated admission of at least 25% children from disadvantaged and weaker sections in the first or pre-primary class level. But the state government amended it earlier this year after which a petition challenging the amendment was submitted to the high court last month. The high court stayed the state government’s notification dated February 9, 2024 due to which the education department will now have to re-implement the RTE admission process as before.

“After receiving instructions regarding RTE admission from the state government, instructions have been given to make necessary changes in the online RTE admission process being implemented by the NIC. Therefore now, the revised RTE admission process will start soon,” said Gosavi.

With the process of RTE admission starting again in May this year and schools reopening in June, the RTE admission process will be delayed once again this year. “Every year, the RTE admission process is getting delayed impacting admissions of thousands of students who wait in the hope that they will get admission to the schools they desire. Even we had applied for our son’s admission this year but now again, we have to carry out the entire process and if we do not get admission through RTE, there will be a delay in taking admission to another school,” said Kavita Bhosale, a parent.