RTE applications to pvt schools cross 1.20 lakh

The RTE mandates 25 per cent reservation for children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections in all self-financing schools in the entry-level class.

Soon after the notification from the government, parents from the weaker and disadvantaged sections started filing applications since April 22 for admissions in private schools.

In order to ensure transparency in the admission process, online application for admission has been introduced this year and government had arranged for the parents to file applications online at block level education offices and e-seva centres across the State.

A senior official from the School Education Department told DT Next on Saturday that due to government’s awareness programme, a total of 1,20,900 applications under RTE have been received for the first time this year. “On the last day, which was May 18, more than 20,000 applications were received,” he said adding that there were more than 7,000 applications from Chennai alone.

“This year, admissions are available for about 1.22 lakh children under RTE”, he added. Stating that all the private schools would be under obligation to grant admission for such children, if eligible, the official said, “If the number of eligible applicants is more than the intake capacity of a school, a random selection method would be adopted in the presence of an officer deputed by the Chief Educational Officer of the district concerned.”

However, he said valid applications received from orphaned children, children of HIV-infected parents, transgender children and kids of scavengers will be given priority and admitted before starting the random selection process.

“Previous year, about one lakh children were admitted under RTE,” he said adding that this year all the admissions available will be filled. The official also pointed out that in 2018 about 90,000 students were admitted in private schools through RTE.