Jyoti and Deepak Jadi of Dajibanpet were hoping to get their daughter, Sanjana, a Right To Education Act (RTE) quota seat in Class 1 for 2015-16.
However, their hopes got dashed after school authorities informed them that they would not be able to give them a seat in Class 1 due to the change in RTE guidelines, which mandates that unaided educational institutions should compulsorily admit students under RTE from LKG itself.
Despite their meagre income, the couple had somehow managed to mobilise funds to get Sanjana admitted to Durgadevi English Medium School in Dajibanpet for LKG, only with the hope that they would have to pay the fees only for the first two years.
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Deepak works as a mechanic and Jyoti stitches clothes at home.
The plight of Shrinivas Irakal, who runs a petty shop, is slightly different. His daughter Shambhavi, who is now in LKG at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, will move to UKG in the next academic year.
She will also miss the RTE facility because of the changed guidelines.
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Mr. Irakal pleaded with the school authorities to get her admitted to LKG under RTE, but they declined his request as there is no provision for the same.
According to a circular issued by the Department of Public Instruction, only in those schools that do not have kindergarten, admission to Class I can be given.
According to Secretary of Bhoomi Education Trust and social activist Bhaskar Jituri there are hundreds of students in the city alone who are being declined seats under RTE quota because of the changed guidelines.
He has petitioned the Chief Minister hoping for a solution.
When contacted, an official of the Education Department admitted that there was a problem.
“In aided institutions, the students can be admitted even for UKG and Class I under RTE. Problem is only with unaided institutions as they have to mandatorily admit students from LKG. Those who wanted to get admitted to the same school under RTE quota cannot do so now,” he said.
When contacted, Additional Commissioner of Public Instruction, Dharwad, Viranna Turamuri said that he had received a memorandum on the issue seeking amendment to the guidelines and the same had been forwarded to the government.
Peititon has been sent to the Chief Minisiter for a solution to the issue
The issue is only there in unaided educational institutions, says Education Department official