RTE admissions begin afresh in Maha, parents worried about delay

Currently, the link to apply for RTE admission is closed. However, the parents will be given a deadline to fill the application again

Following the Bombay High Court’s decision, the state school education department has begun changing the admission process under the Right to Education (RTE) Act with the NIC on Wednesday publishing the list of schools now eligible for RTE admission and the seats available under RTE in these schools on the RTE portal. In the academic year 2024-25, RTE admissions will be carried out to 102,434 seats in 9,138 English medium schools across Maharashtra, and the schedule for the same will be announced by the education department in the next few days.

There was less response from parents for admission to government schools. (HT PHOTO)

While admissions are carried out every year to 25% reserved seats under the RTE Act, due to the change introduced by the state government earlier this year, only Marathi medium government schools, aided schools and local government schools were given preference. Despite other schools being there, students were not given an opportunity to secure admission under RTE in these schools. A petition was hence filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the state government’s decision, and the high court stayed the state government’s notification dated February 9, 2024, paving the way for securing admissions to old English medium schools under RTE.

The education department instructed the NIC about implementing the new RTE admission process and accordingly, the NIC on Wednesday published the list of schools eligible for RTE admission and their admission capacity. Meanwhile, parents and parents’ associations expressed their displeasure over the change in the RTE admission process.

“Currently, the link to apply for RTE admission is closed. However, the parents will be given a deadline to fill the application again. There was less response from parents for admission to government schools. Only 69,361 parents applied for their children’s admission. Now admissions in English medium schools are expected to increase,” said a senior education official on condition of anonymity.

Whereas Kalpana Choudhary, a parent, said, “Earlier, we had applied for admission under the RTE and now, the same process will be repeated again. It will take months and our children’s academic year will be impacted.”