Adi Dravidar students are struggling for admission under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE) Act despite applying through the online process.
Under the Act, 25% of the seats are reserved for students from economically weaker section and disadvantaged groups.
While some parents said they were made to run around for documents by the private schools for kindergarten admission, others complained that the schools informed them that their applications were never received.
Susi Raghupathy, a resident of Velachery, said that she along with 15 other parents went to the school in the neighbourhood for kindergarten admission. “They informed us that admissions would be by draw of lots. But, we were not involved in the process and the admission list did not have our children’s names,” she said. Susi is now checking if other schools would admit her daughter.
T.Nagar resident S.Neelamegam said, “I made a mistake in the month of her birth. We produced a copy of her birth certificate, income certificate and ration card. But the school wanted me to get a letter from the Directorate of Matriculation Schools. I have not yet been able to meet officials there.”
M. Ravaniah, organising secretary, Tamil Nadu Adi Andhra Arunthathiya Maha Sabha said, “We are receiving such complaints from parents almost daily. We belong to seven sub-castes classified as Arunthathiyars and the parents are poor labourers. We have already dealt with 10 such cases of denial of admission citing various reasons over the past few days.”
The parents and the organisation have given written complaints to the Director of Matriculation Schools.
Sought-after schools
A. Karuppasami, Matriculation Schools Director, said the students had chosen some of the most-sought after schools which already had many applicants.
“For instance, in a school with just 23 seats (under the 25% quota) there were 74 applicants. Similarly, in another school in Velachery, for 38 seats there were 166 applicants. So, lots were drawn and it is possible that their children’s name did not make the final list,” he explained.
“The Act permits anyone from any community to apply. Even those in forward communities with an annual income of less than ₹2 lakh qualify for a seat. There is no reservation system under the Act for any community. Of the around 1,26,000 seats, around 80,000 seats have been filled. There may also be another round of admission under the RTE Act. Besides, seats are available in aided and government schools that the students can apply for,” he said.
