MADURAI
With only eight days to go for filing applications under the Right to Education (RTE) Act in Tamil Nadu, a large number of people have reported difficulties in filing applications through the online portal over the past nearly five days.
A majority of them complained that the issue was mainly with the maps facility integrated in the online application process, through which the applicants have to choose the schools.
S.S.A. Basha, running a tea shop in Tahsildar Nagar, who tried to submit an application for his child, said that he was trying for the past four days in vain. “Someone told me that I can approach the e-Sevai centre on Collectorate premises to get it done. However, they were not doing it there. I tried in at least five browsing centres. It did not work anywhere,” he said.
N. Ramesh Kumar, who works at a browsing centre near Town Hall Road, acknowledged that there were problems. “A number of parents from areas like Ellis Nagar, Simmakkal, and Thideer Nagar are approaching us. However, the system is not working occasionally,” he said.
K. Hakkim of People’s Awareness Trust, who is helping with parents in submitting applications under the RTE Act, said that he had been receiving complaints through phone from different parts of Tamil Nadu. Highlighting that the introduction of maps to locate the houses of applicants and choose the preferred schools in the vicinity was a well intended, he said that the implementation, however, had flaws.
“Apart from it being non-functional occasionally, it shows only those schools that were already available on the maps. Moreover, no one is able to apply to schools under Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE),” he said.
Importantly, since the commencement of the application process, many have commented on the ‘unfair’ limitation that students can apply for schools only within one kilometre radius.
S. Selvamani from Periyakovilankulam near Sankarankoil in Tirunelveli district, who tried applying for his niece, said that the nearest private school of their choice was roughly five kilometre away.
“The one kilometre constraint is unfair, mainly for those residing in rural areas,” he said.
Mr. Hakkim said that the School Education Department must consider extending the last date of application.
When contacted, a senior official from the department here said that the problems faced in the online portal had been rectified. “Decision on extending the deadline and relaxing the one kilometre radius constraint must be done at State-level,” the official said.
