While the Department of Public Instruction was flooded with the Right to Education (RTE) Act applications for admissions to private schools under the ‘disadvantaged category’, the department has learnt that many parents and guardians misused the provision or may have applied without being eligible.
Of the total 5,009 applications received under the category, only 319 were eligible to claim a seat, said Tanveer Sait, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, on Friday. The draw of lots for allotment of RTE seats were held on Friday.
The category includes children who are orphans, children with special needs (CWSN), children of farmers who had committed suicide, and street children. Those applying under the quota are given preference during the lottery process. Officials said they had stumbled upon instances where parents told them they had applied under the CWSN category as there was age relaxation.
Mr. Sait said after scrutiny, the remaining applications were considered as regular applications and were eligible for seat allotment.
Ajay Seth, Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Primary and Secondary Education, said from the 2017–18 academic year, textbooks (State syllabus) would be supplied for free to students admitted under the quota. He said a mechanism would be established for parents to lodge complaints if schools charge “excess fees” for students admitted under the quota. As many as 2.01 lakh applications were received for 1.29 lakh seats available under the RTE quota this year.
