Admissions end, but no clarity on unfilled RTE seats

Even as the deadline for filling seats under the 25% Right to Education quota ends on Wednesday, city schools have not yet received an official circular from the school education department on what should be done with the vacant seats.

These schools are now in a dilemma over whether the unfilled seats reserved for students from economically weaker sections (EWS) should be left vacant throughout the year or be made available to the open category.

Though Mahavir Mane, director of primary education, had issued an order in earlier this month stating if the quota seats remain vacant after the July 31 deadline schools can admit non EWS students, they are yet to receive a circular of the order.

“We have not received any such circular from the department,” confirmed Anjana Prakash, principal, Hansraj Morarji Public School in Andheri.

Even the education inspectors are unable to help as they have not received the circular themselves.

“We have only heard about this decision in media reports.We cannot ask schools to implement the order unless we receive an official circular from the directorate in Pune,” said Bagul, education inspector in-charge of the western zone.

Many big schools have a long waiting list in the open category and hence want to convert the unfilled quota seats to the open category.

But without instructions, they are unsure about the next step.

“We are stuck in a limbo over these seats. We have 12-13 unfilled seats in the quota, and on the other hand we have a long waiting list of students. We are clueless,” said Satish Lotlikar, managing trustee, IES Manik Vidyamandir School, Bandra.

“Nearly 50% of our seats from the quota are vacant. But we are not going to admit non-EWS students to these seats unless we receive instructions in writing,” said Sangeeta Srivastava, principal of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vidyalaya, Kandivli.