RTE: Parents violate norms, apply with more than one form

It has come to the notice of many private school managements and education officials that parents applying for seats for their children in schools under the Right To Education (RTE) Act quota are applying with more than one online form, indicating their first preference against each school to better chances of getting seats.

According to instructions from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), each candidate can apply with only one online form to a maximum of five schools within their ward, in their order of preference.

As many as 62 seats are earmarked under the RTE quota in RR English School, Nandini Layout. “Many parents have told me that they have applied to a number of schools with different forms, indicating their first preference for each school to increase their chances of getting admitted,” said Srikantappa, principal of the school.

D Shashi Kumar, director, Blossoms School, Kanakapura Road, said that a number of parents were indulging in such practices. “There are even cases where parents have applied to five different schools with five different forms,” he said.

Although this practice has not gone unnoticed by the DPI, it has chosen to take a lenient view on the issue. Acknowledging that such cases have been noticed by the department, an official said, “In such cases, we will go according to the serial number of the forms and only the first two forms will be considered and the rest will be rejected.”

However, if only two schools fall under a particular ward, students can apply to other wards with another form, the official added.

Other issues

School managements have also noticed that applicants are providing fake income certificates, proof of address etc. For example, of the 200 seats under the reserved quota in Blossom School, 90 percent have applied with fake income certificates.

“We have received certificates indicating incomes as low as Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per annum,” Shashi Kumar said.  February 21 was the last date for submitting application forms. Presently, applications are being screened.
DH News Service