Indore
Many parents are unhappy with the private schools allotted to their kids through the lottery system under the Under Right to Education (RTE) Act and are approaching the state school education department for changing the school.
A large number of parents have approached school education department officials requesting a change of schools. Parents are giving several reasons why they are unhappy with the school allotted to their children, and one of them is that the school is too far away from their home. Some are saying that they did not get their first preference, while others said that they were given the school which they had selected as the second or third choice.
The lottery for allotment of private schools for children of poor and other disadvantaged sections was done on July 15. Under the Act, the school fees are paid by the state government.
In Indore district, more than 14,000 people had applied for their children to study in private schools of the city, out of which 10,848 applicants were found eligible after document verification. Out of these, the lottery of 6,708 people were allotted schools through lottery system.
Many parents are not getting their children admitted to schools under RTE because the school they gave been allotted was their second or even third choice. However, changing the school is not possible at the local level.
“Those whose names have come up in the lottery have to get admission in the respective schools by July 26. Those whose lottery has not opened, are now waiting for the second phase,” district project coordinator Akshay Singh Rathore said.
Clarity on lottery system for admissions
As per Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, to fill up the seats meant for unreserved candidates at first a general lottery is to be organised taking into account all applications for admission irrespective of categories.
It is therefore implied that all General, SC, ST, OBC candidates and others will come under the general lottery.
After filling up the unreserved seats, separate lotteries are to be done to select category wise (viz. SC/ST/OBC) reserved candidates.
It is obligatory on the part of the State government to ensure that education of all children up to class VIII is free of cost in a neighbourhood school as per provisions of RTE Act, 2009 and Notification issued by the State government in this regard.
