RTE admissions date extended till April 4
However, some private unaided schools of the state are not accepting admissions until the state reimburses the pending amount
Students and parents now can have sigh of relief as the deadline for admissions through Right to Education (RTE) have been extended till April 4 instead of the earlier deadline of March 24. Marginalised students can now secure admissions in private unaided schools through lottery system under 25 per cent reservation. While, private schools are still waiting for reimbursement from the state.
This move has come in order to provide more time to parents to secure admissions and also to accommodate more students.
Around 3,239 students were allotted admissions in the first round of lottery. Out of which around 2,151 students have been allotted to Class 1 and 1,088 to pre-primary. Parents of these students should visit the schools allotted, submit documents and secure admissions for their children.
Students of weaker financial backgrounds can study for free in private unaided schools till Class 8 through online RTE admissions.
Under the RTE Act, 2009, 25 per cent seats in private unaided schools are reserved for students of families with an annual income less than Rs 1 lakh. They can apply online for RTE admission and avail elementary education (from Class 1 to Class 8) for free as it is entirely funded by the state government.
This year, there are over 10,505 applicants while the intake capacity is only 8,341 in 347 private unaided schools. Mahesh Palkar, education officer conducting RTE admissions, said, “The extension has come so that parents can get more time to secure admissions. We want to provide the benefit of RTE admissions to as many students as possible so that children from financially weak sections of society can benefit.” Three rounds of lottery will be conducted.
On the other hand, some private unaided schools of the state under Federation of Schools Association of Maharashtra (FSAM) are not accepting admissions until the state reimburses the pending amount. Rajendra Singh, a member of private schools, said, “We are willing to accept admissions provided the state reimburses the balance amount. We want parents to be on our side and want them to realise that the government should fulfil their duties and provide funds for education. The matter is in the court and we will act as per the decision of the court.”
Another member of private schools said, “We have not heard or received any amount yet from the state government. The state expects us to award admissions to students but how are we supposed to manage their education if funds are not provided?” Parents should blame the state if we do not accept admissions.”