RTE admissions start in 110 schools after notice

NAGPUR: Tough talking by the Nagpur education department’s top boss seems to have done the trick for Right to Education (RTE) admission stalemate. Anil Pardhi, deputy director of education (DDE) of Nagpur division, had issued show cause notice on Monday to 291 schools in city for refusing to admit students under the 25% RTE quota. Schools were given time till Wednesday evening to reply, failing which the process of de-recognizing the school was to be initiated.In 110 schools the admission process has started leaving the remaining 181 open for punitive action by the education department.
On Thursday education officials may initiate action against those 181 schools for not responding to show cause notice. DDE Pardhi is known in education circles for his clean image and no-nonsense attitude. His reputation for being a strict taskmaster and following up on punitive action has clearly had the desired effect on schools. Shahid Sharif, chairman of an NGO which focuses solely on RTE, said, “Top CBSE schools have started giving admission and we are getting calls on our helpline non-stop about others following suit. There are reports that out of the 291 schools, hardly 20 have still not started admissions, but am sure it shall be resolved soon.”
The bone of contention for RTE admissions was the education department’s insistence that intake should be done at both primary and pre-primary level. Deputy director Pardhi had suggested that schools at least start admitting students at their original entry level and the second entry-level admission issue could be resolved mutually later.
But going by the state government’s flip-flop over the RTE issue since its implementation in 2012, schools were understandably sitting on the fence. A principal, on condition of anonymity, told TOI last week, “If we admit in nursery now and then later state forces us for Std I admissions too, then how will it work? We are simply saying that admissions have to be done at only one entry point. How difficult can it be to implement such a simple thing?”
With schools now starting RTE admissions, at least the process of finding a resolution has begun. Sources in the education department say they will seek more clarity from their Pune headquarters before taking on the thornier issues of RTE. On Wednesday afternoon, members of a political party agitated at the primary education office demanding full compliance of the RTE admissions.