RTE: Only 18 applications received in Kodagu

With the new amendment in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education rules, the number of applications seeking admissions under RTE quota have declined drastically.

In Kodagu district with three educational blocks, only 46 seats were available and only 18 applications have been submitted so far.

As per the new rules, if there are no government and aided schools in the neighbourhood, then only applications can be submitted for admissions in unaided schools. As a result, there has been a drastic decline in the number of people who submit their applications under the RTE quota.

There are government, aided and unaided schools within a five-kilometre radius in a particular village. As a result, the number of available seats was restricted, said officials from the Education Department.

The new amendment does not pose any hurdles to those who had already availed seats under the RTE quota in unaided and aided schools last year in continuing their education.

There was a huge demand for seats under the RTE quota in the beginning.

Availability of seats

The available seats in the district are as follows—Ballamavati Nethaji Primary School has five seats available under RTE (2 for SC and 3 for other categories); Jnanabharathi Higher Primary School in
Kushalnagar and SJM School in Somwarpet has 16 seats (SC-5, ST-1 and other categories-10); Vijaya Higher Primary School at Kadanga in Virajpet, Kaveri Higher Primary School at Kuklooru and Triveni Higher Primary School at Kuklooru have 25 seats (SC-9, ST-1 and general category-15).

In the year 2018-19, RTE seats were available in 87 schools in Kodagu district and over 500 students had applied under RTE quota.