The Education Department is in the process of drafting a revised set of guidelines aimed at simplifying the admission process under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which reserves 25% of seats for underprivileged children in private schools. As part of this initiative, the government-appointed committee has invited suggestions and grievances from parents to ensure a more inclusive and effective policy. Welcoming this move, the MahaParents Association from Pune gave their suggestions and feedback.
'Strong verification mechanism needed'
Dilip Singh Vishwakarma, President of the Maharashtra State Parents' Association, said, "There have been several instances where families coming from financially well-to-do backgrounds have taken undue advantage of the 25% RTE quota, due to which genuine underprivileged students lose their seats to free education. A strong verification mechanism should be in place to ensure that only needy families are getting the benefits from the RTE provisions."
'All private schools must be part of RTE process'
"There are many private schools that operate on land provided by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) or the state government. Those schools must mandatorily participate in the RTE admission process and should not be allowed to opt out under any circumstances. We strongly appeal to the government committee not to exclude any private schools from the RTE admission process. Every private school in the city must be part of this initiative,” added Vishwakarma.
'RTE admission process should be made available offline as well'
Dattatray Pawar, a member of MahaParents Association Pune, said, "The committee appointed by the state should not remain a mere formality on paper but should actively consider and act upon the issues raised by parents. The RTE admission process, which is currently online, should be made available offline as well. Many poor and illiterate parents struggle with the digital-only process. An offline option would make the system more accessible to those who genuinely need it."
