RTE Quota Admissions: 2,221 students yet to get admissions

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However, all the other schools are still showing resistance. Earlier, we had filed FIRs against schools but they complained that we misinterpreted the court order. We are now awaiting directions from seniors on how to proceed,” said Dhananjay Pardeshi, assistant education officer, PMC school board.

Ask him about the current situation and he agrees it’s grim. Of the nearly 6,400 students, as many as 2,221 students are yet to be given admissions in various city schools. Most of the refusals pertain to Class 1 admissions where of the 3,800-odd admissions, at least 1,700 are yet to be finalised by schools. The cluster of 23 schools alone hold around 950 admissions. “We had called a meeting of school managements on Friday where most of them agreed to give RTE quota admissions. However, they have not done it yet. If they toe the line, it will only be a question of a few city schools, not more than six or seven schools,” said Baban Dahiphale, education officer, PMC.

On the status of proposal seeking de-recognition of schools, including DPS, Huzurpaga School, New India School, SPM English School and Paranjpe School, he said it has been cleared by primary education officer and now awaits nod from director of education for further action.

Meanwhile, the education officials who until now were filing FIRs and moving de-recognition proposals against schools are now virtually sitting idle for the past 10 days with no action being taken on parents complaints. Thanks to state education minister’s promise of coming up with a solution within 48 hours to resolve the deadlock over RTE admissions.

However, Pardeshi is hopeful that a decision will be conveyed on Monday.

On their part, school officials blame have blamed local education officers for the dealy confusion over admissions.

“As many as 22 schools had knocked the court’s door. In fact, over the last few days, other schools too have joined us. We are not refusing RTE admissions but merely saying that the calculation of eligible seats done by PMC officials is wrong. This has led to confusion and hence children are suffering. For instance, if a school got recognition in 2014, how can they be eligible to give admissions for 2012? According to de-recognition notices, these schools did not give admissions in 2012 and hence are liable for action if they do not fill up the seats this year. But how can the law be applied retrospectively?” asked Vikram Deshmukh, legal consultant for Millenium School and other city schools.

SPM Public School principal Aparna Morris, said, “My school got recognition in the academic year 2014-2015. Before that we had only pre-primary and I had been told that we can start RTE admissions only after we get recognition. But the notice sent for de-recognition says that we did not give admissions in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 for which we will have to face action. But how do I give admissions if the school did not exist?” questioned Morris.

While Katraj’s Huzurpaga School was recognised in 2013-2014, the process to de-recognise it too has been initiated for not accommodating the backlog.