RTE notice awaited, schools admit students under quota

With the proposed government guidelines on the Right to Education Act nowhere in sight, many city schools have enrolled students under the 25% RTE quota, despite the risk that such admissions could be declared illegal later.

With the proposed government guidelines on the Right to Education Act nowhere in sight, many city schools have enrolled students under the 25% RTE quota, despite the risk that such admissions could be declared illegal later.

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The government notification containing guidelines and schedules for the implementation of the RTE Act was to be issued in November 2012. Many schools had delayed the admission schedule waiting for the notification to be passed.

Najma Kazi, principal of Anjuman Islam Girls High School, Byculla, said, “How long can we keep waiting for the notification? Being an aided institution, the RTE quota is applicable to our Urdu school. Around 150 of the 240 students have secured admission through this quota.”

Last year, the education department had termed admission process that did not follow the official government timetable as illegal. The schools accused of illegal RTE admissions have not yet received the RTE grants from the government for those admissions.

Amita Katyal, principal of Pawar Public School, Kandivli, said it is risky to fill the RTE seats without the notification. “The story remains the same every year. If we keep waiting for the notification, our admission process will get delayed. We have invited applications for seats under the quota and admitted the three students, who had applied under the category,” she said.

Some schools have kept 25% seats vacant for RTE

students. Anjana Prakash, principal of Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri said, “We will not begin our admission process for the quota, unless we receive a notification from the government.”