For the academic year 2024-25, applications for admissions under the Right to Education (RTE) Act have begun. Despite the promise of free and compulsory education, only 33,000 applications have been received in the past eight days in Pune, with the deadline set for April 30.
The application process is implemented online, with government and private schools currently open for admission. However, the limited admissions in government schools suggest parents' growing inclination towards self-financed English-medium schools.
Traditionally, RTE admissions have been highly sought after, with approximately one to half a lakh seats available annually in English-medium schools. However, this year's response indicates a shift in parental priorities, favouring English-medium education for their children.
Concerns over the quality of education and facilities in government schools persist, prompting parents to seek alternatives despite some government institutions offering comparable standards to private English-medium schools.
RTE admissions saw significant demand in previous years, with applications outnumbering available seats. However, the trend is changing, with fewer applications this year, highlighting a growing preference for English-medium education.
As the deadline nears and application numbers remain low, the future of RTE admissions hangs in the balance, reflecting shifting parental preferences and the ongoing debate over educational equity.
Dipali Sardeshmukh, president, of Maharashtra State Student-Parent-Teacher Federation, Pune, said, “Parents and students are facing a double dilemma regarding RTE admission. Private schools, however, have been given a convenient loophole. The changes in the RTE Act are not helping students and parents and are causing financial and educational loss.”
Mukund Kirdate, coordinator of AAP Parents' Union, said, “The amendments in the RTE Act were supposed to attract more students to government schools. The Education Commissioner of Maharashtra, Suraj Mandhare, said that the act will help to better the government schools and they will become the first choice of the parents. However, it backfired, and so far, out of the 73,263 seats available, only 9,901 applications have been received. People are opting for private schools bearing the cost from their pocket, and are not opting for government schools.”
