BMC edu dept narrows school choice for RTE

In order to enable more students to bag admission in the 25 per cent quota of the Right to Education (RTE) online process, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) education department has decided to allot only one school to each child in the lottery. The registration for schools began on January 10 while parents can start applying for their child's admission from January 22 to February 10.

Earlier, a parent could choose any number of schools within one to five kilometer of their vicinity during registration and were allotted several choices during the lottery process. However, this year on, parents can pick only 10 schools as their choice from which one school will be allotted per child in the lottery. Further, parents have to take admission in the allotted school within a given time or else stand to lose the slot.

Mahesh Palkar, an official from BMC's education department, said, "Allotting only one school to each child in the lottery process will help us allot more number of students to schools and help them get admission. Earlier, allotting more number of schools to one child created delays in the process."

The officials have also decided to start the online admission process in other districts of Maharashtra. Right now the online admission process takes place only in Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Aurangabad and Amravati.

In November 2017, BMC's education officials from different zones held a meeting with principals of private schools and higher authorities of the state education department to discuss how the RTE online admission process could be conducted smoothly.

EDUCATION FOR ALL

• Parents can verify the documents for the admission process at 41 centres.
   
• February 15 will likely be the first day of the lottery.
   
• All private schools registered for RTE have to admit 25 per cent children from weaker sections from their neighbourhoods for free education.