RTE confusion continues; schools start admission

BANGALORE: With the state yet to notify the rules related to implementation of Right to Education (RTE), many schools are balancing on a ledge during admissions. While many schools have delayed admissions citing lack of clarity on 25 per cent reservation for OBC students as per the Act, some have gone ahead with admissions with caution. However, it is ambiguous whether the  reservation clause is applicable to kindergarten or class one.“As of now, we have gone ahead with the  admissions. If the government wants us to comply with RTE, we will add another section. We fear children might directly join class one after kindergarten,” said Usha Mohan, principal, India International School. The RTE Act in Karnataka has lot of confusions revolving around it. After Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the nodal agency behind Act submitted a final draft to the state government. It is said to be pending with the finance section currently. Who would reimburse 25 per cent of the fees in unaided schools for underprivileged children is not clear yet. “Our school is going ahead with the admission process with a buffer, as there is no clarity. We have the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the reservation, as we expect to receive a top-up from the government. We have started admissions so that children will not have to suffer,” said Manas Mehrotra, trustee, Greenwood High. Principal secretary G Kumar Naik told Express: “The government will issue a clear order to schools regarding this ambiguity within a month.”