Only 10% of RTE seats filled in DK this academic year
The number of schools and seats under RTE has decreased, with 83 schools and 326 seats available under RTE. In the academic year 2024-25, a total of 408 RTE seats out of the allocated 457 seats remained vacant in Dakshina Kannada.
Govinda Madivala, DDPI of Dakshina Kannada, said that so far only 31 students were admitted to unaided schools in Belthangady, Mangaluru South, Mangaluru North, and Moodbidri. Mangaluru South had half of the admissions with 15 candidates, followed by Mangaluru North (8), Belthangady (6), and Moodbidri (2).
Currently, a total 295 out of 326 allotted seats remain vacant under RTE.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 mandated that private schools reserve 25% of their seats for children from economically disadvantaged families. During the initial implementation, the coastal district offered a total of 1,645 seats.
"There are no takers this year as well. Only a few schools in selected wards had some takers," shared a caseworker. The official added that all those 31 seats taken belong to unaided schools in the four BEO limits. "There were more unaided schools last academic year, but they have been exempted from RTE as they have obtained minority education institution status. Parents are not interested in admitting their children into aided schools," said the caseworker, adding that there will not be another round of seat allotment.
Another official added that RTE must do away with adding aided schools to the allotment list since there is only interest among the parents to admit their wards into unaided schools.
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