Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The schools across the state have witnessed a decline in admissions under Right to Education (RTE) Act, with only 75,000 students enrolling for 2024-25 academic session. This year, 84,000 students were granted admission on 1.25 lakh available seats in 23,000 private schools in the state.
The downward trend in RTE admissions has been consistent since 2021-22 academic session. In 2021–22, 1.3 lakh students obtained admission. The numbers dropped to 1.25 lakh in 2022-23 and to 1.16 lakh in 2023-24. A review conducted by State Education Centre (RSK) earlier this year revealed that several private schools were not admitting students selected through RTE lottery system.
Following this, the then director of RSK S Dhanaraju also issued directives to all the schools regarding the multiple complaints received of private schools’ refusal to admit RTE-selected students. The department issued a warning, stating that any private school failing to comply with RTE admissions will have its recognition cancelled.
Experts attribute the decline to negligence by private schools towards students selected through RTE lottery. While the State Education Centre covers the tuition fees, additional costs for extracurricular activities are borne by the students, creating a financial burden for families. This has discouraged many from enrolling.
