Schools flout RTE norms, take test for admissions

DoE sends show cause notices to institutions

Schools in the city are flouting the Right to Education Act norms by asking children to sit for entrance tests (written and oral), thus going against the clause of no screening of students and parents under the RTE Act.

According to Sumit Vohra, founder of AdmissionsNursery.com forum, schools were recently sent show cause notices by the directorate of education (DoE) for conducting written and oral exams.

“Under the RTE guidelines, no written or oral tests between class 1 and 8 can be conducted for children or parents. A few days back, the DoE sent show cause notices to prominent schools, but that has not stopped other schools from continuing to take such tests,” said Vohra.

“Why can’t the DoE come out with uniform rules on admissions to schools for class 1 to 8?” He said he had submitted a written representation on March 16 to the DoE and other higher authorities regarding more schools flouting the ‘no screening’ guidelines.

For example, Indian Heights School in Dwarka in its basic criteria for admission to primary to secondary classes stated on its website that students from class 1 onwards have to undergo an entrance test, which would be the basis for admission.

ITL Public School in the same area stated in its admission criteria that from primary to class 9, children who have registered will have to appear for the oral/written entrance tests as laid down for different classes.

Vohra said since several schools have put up screening (written/oral) tests on their websites, they were sent show cause notices. Now, the new modus operandi of schools is to intimate parents personally instead of putting the notification on their websites, he added.

“My child gave a written test on March 11 at St Giri Public School in Jasola. The school has not put up the written test information on its website,” said a parent. The written representation also stated that many schools (including minority schools) on government land are not giving the required 15 per cent seats reserved for economically weaker section category students.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/319872/schools-flout-rte-norms-...