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Tejas Navale

Pune: Recently, the State School Education Department has made some changes to the 'Right to Education' (RTE) Act, deciding the admission rules for newly admitted students in the state under the RTE Act. According to the latest change, students willing to take admission for grade 1 will have to choose private aided schools within a distance of one km from their house.

However, if the government schools and schools run by the local bodies are not within the distance of one kilometre from the student's house, he or she can choose the option of self-financing schools. This decision by the school education department is aimed at ensuring accessibility and convenience for students seeking admission to grade 1, prioritising proximity to their residences for ease of commuting and attendance.

Meanwhile, it is said that the admissions process for students for the new academic year will start from next week.

The school education department has made strict guidelines regarding the priority of students for schools under 'RTE'. As per the new rules, if a parent wants to enrol their child in a Zilla Parishad or municipal school in their locality (within one km of their house) instead of a subsidised school, they can also get admission to the same.

Similarly, if there is no private-aided or government school within one km of the student's home and there is only an English-medium self-financing school in the area, parents can enrol their children in such schools if they desire. However, there will be a strict mapping of schools before admission to ensure that there is indeed no aided or government school near the student's house.

The Department of School Education has also clarified that in exceptional circumstances, if an aided, government, and self-financing (English-medium private school) school is not within one km of the student, those students can choose a school within a distance of three km.

Notably, minority schools have been excluded from the 25 percent target of the RTE admissions process. However, the education department has strictly mentioned in its notification that if a school becomes a minority in the next few years, the students admitted to those schools through 'RTE' will have to be given free education up to class VIII.

The recent changes to the Right to Education (RTE) Act introduce several guidelines aimed at streamlining the admissions process for students. One notable change is the establishment of document verification committees at both the group education officer level and the municipal level. These committees will play a crucial role in verifying the authenticity of documents submitted during the admissions process.

To qualify for RTE admission, parents must provide one proof of identification, which can include documents such as a ration card, vehicle licence, electricity or telephone bill, property tax bill, Aadhaar card, voter card, or nationalised bank passbook. Additionally, parents residing in rented accommodations must present a registered tenancy agreement from the sub-registrar's office. This agreement must be dated prior to the application and be valid for 11 months or more. Failure to provide a valid tenancy agreement may result in the cancellation of the application.

Income proof, indicating an annual income of less than one lakh, must be provided for the years 2022–23 and 2023–24. Furthermore, caste certificates are required, and in the case of a disabled child, a certificate from the district surgeon, medical superintendent, or district government hospital stating that the child is more than 40 percent disabled is necessary.

For the academic year 2024–25, children must be six years old by December 31st to be eligible for school admission. Moreover, students who have been admitted through RTE from 1st to 4th grade can continue their education up to the 8th grade in local schools free of cost.

It is important to note that any falsification of the residential address, date of birth certificate, caste and income certificate, photo ID, or disability certificate will result in the cancellation of the student's admission. These amendments aim to ensure transparency and fairness in the RTE admission process.