Gujarat: Long wait for 2nd round compels RTE parents to be 'okay' with paying fees

Disappointed with the state machinery over poor implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act and no clarity on the second round of admissions, parents have now started admitting their children by paying fees, out of the fear of losing out on a year.

Admissions under the RTE Act have been in a limbo this year with 30,000 seats remaining vacant in the state and although a number of petitions have been filed in the High Court. While the second round of admissions was scheduled to begin from May 29, the same remains postponed till date, even as schools are set to complete a month of the new academic session.

Yusufbhai Shaikh, a resident of Juhapura who works as a daily wage labourer, has tried to play safe. Disappointed with the wait for the second round of admissions, he has reserved a seat in NK Girls School near Jivraj Park for his daughter. "I had sent my daughter for KG to the same school. This year, when she turned 5 years, I filled RTE forms, but since schools have begun their session, I requested the principal to allow me a months time to pay the fees. I hoped to get clarity and admission under RTE. But now it looks like I will have to pay the fees. I did this because I did not want her to waste a year. I am not educated and hence understand the importance of admission," he said.

For Vinayak Chauhan, who is plagued by severe health issues which affected his earnings, relief in fees under RTE Act came as a breather for him. He said, "My son got admission in a school located very far from the house. I visited the DEO office a number of times to get the school changed but got no response. I also wasted a lot of money in running from pillar to post. I have now secured admission normally, by paying fees."

"These parents who dream to educate their children belong to poor backgrounds. For them, taking even one day leave to visit schools or the DEO office is a nightmare, as they lose out on their money for the day. So many parents who were hoping for a second round to begin in time, now fear of wasting the year and hence have admitted their children by paying fees despite being eligible under RTE. It is very unfortunate," said Yunus Rehman, an RTE activist.

For Mohammad Anish, an auto-rickshaw driver from Juhapura, education has become a nightmare. With barely Rs 11,000 earning per month and paying the fees for the education of his two daughters studying in class 7 and class 10, he was hoping to at least educate his 5-year-old for free. However, till date, he is waiting for the second round to begin. He said, "To run my family, pay rent, and educate all my daughters with Rs 11,000 is near impossible. I was hoping to educate my third daughter through RTE, but her name did not surface in the first round and with no clarity on the second round. But the regular school fees is so high, I think she will have to waste a year, as I cannot afford the same."

Round one of the admissions, this time had revealed a shocking development as nearly 32,000 seats across the state remained vacant. While the state government had increased the seats by 75 per cent, of the 1,25,729 applications approved by the District Primary Education Officer (DPEO), only 80,199 secured admissions. In April, the state government had announced that they had a target of 1,05,000 seats across the state for RTE admissions as against 60,000 last year. However, with round one securing only 80,199 admissions, the situation seems worrisome.