Jamshedpur, Jan. 20 : The 34 English schools on Saturday declared results of KG admission. Parents gave mixed response on the outcome of the results of the software based admission to the entry level classes for the academic session, 2018-19. Most of the schools have adopted manual lottery process to select the candidates.
The parents, whose ward qualified the random (lottery) admission test, were happy but those parents whose children failed to make it through were vocal and found fault with the admission process.
Jharkhand Unaided Private English Schools, (JUPES) has expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the result.
“The admission process was free and fair and there was no room for manipulation. The schools are by and large satisfied with the outcome of the results,” said an official of the Jamshedpur chapter of JUPES.
In tune with the guidelines of the Right to Education (RTE Act, 2009) the district education department asked the English schools to practice, random admission upto standard VIII.
“The process of manual lottery lacked transparency and had several loopholes. School management finally had its way and highhandedness in the admission process is quite apparent,” said a 28-year-old mother whose male child failed in the admission.
The Jamshedpur Parents Association, (JPA) the city based outfit raising flag for long vis à-vis inaccuracy in the admission software, charged the district administration of siding with the schools.
“I know for sure only half the seats were put up for random admission while the majority of the seats will be filled up through backdoor. Not only this, parents have found loopholes in the process but district administration didn’t pay heed to our grouses,” said a functionary of JPA.
As most of the reserved seats under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education, 2009 in private English medium schools do not get applicants, the district education department has decided to allot such seats to backward and economically poor students. Also, schools will have to take prior approval from the department for admission (in the reserved category) in case parents approach schools directly.
As per the officials of education department’s RTE cell, a list of various schools will be compiled with the available seats under the said category. When parents approach the office, they will allot them schools as per their areas. As per the RTE Act, students should seek admission in schools near to their residence. Some principals think, it is a relief as schools are not in a position to get students in this category.
According to the provisions of the RTE, 25 percent seats are reserved for the BPL students in each school but in the wake of lack of awareness among the beneficiary section hardly one percent of the BPL seats are filled up in the schools, at present. “There is little ambiguity in the current RTE Act. Government must simply the regulating provision however, schools are keen to accommodate BPL students,” said an official of the Jamshedpur chapter of Private Unaided English Medium Schools.