Complaints galore on day one of RTE admission process

The Hindu Anxious parents at the office of a Block Education Officer in Bangalore on Tuesday. Photo: K. Gopinathan As admissions for seats under the Right to Education (RTE) Act quota in private schools began on Tuesday, a large number of anxious parents thronged the offices of block education officers (BEO) across the city with complaints. Most parents complained that schools they had approached were refusing to provide forms for admission under the quota, while some said private schools were not receptive to their queries. Some parents alleged that private schools were not even allowing them inside their school premises. M.R. Chelavuraj, a garment worker, said he visited around 10 schools in Nandini Layout to obtain an admission form for his four-year-old son, but schools refused to provide him one. This forced him to come to the office of the BEO North 1 Range in Rajajinagar where he got the form. “Obtaining the admission form itself was a tiresome experience. While we are keen on admitting our children in private schools under the RTE quota, school authorities are making no effort to clarify our doubts,” he said. Guidelines According to the Education Department’s guidelines, admission forms can be collected in both BEO office as well as schools. But the forms have to be submitted at schools, and if the schools reject them, the forms can be submitted at the office of the BEO concerned. Sunitha V., a homemaker who has decided to admit her son in a private school for Class 1, said, “I have decided to apply to at least 10 schools so that my son gets admission in at least one. It would have been easier if we were allowed to submit all the applications in the BEO’s office. It would have saved us a lot of time.” She also said that most parents could not afford to forego even a day’s earning. “We hope that the department will make the process easier by allowing us to submit all forms in the BEO’s office,” she said.Sources in the office of the BEO North Range 1 said that over 1,000 forms were distributed in their block alone. The source said authorities of several schools were not cooperating with parents. Kempaiah, BEO South Range 1, said police had to be called in to control the rush at his office. He said over 700 applications were issued on Tuesday. For any clarifications, parents call the RTE helpline 1800-425-34567.