Schools flout Right To Education norms on admissions

CHANDIGARH: Many schools continue to conduct admission tests and interviews (called interactions) for classes I to VIII in violation of Right To Education (RTE) Act — openly mentioning on their websites that admissions will be based on assessment.

As per Section 13 of the RTE Act, no school is authorised to collect any capitation fee while admitting a child. The child or his/her parents/guardian will not appear for any screening procedure. If the school subjects any prospective child to screening, it ‘shall be punishable with a fine which may extend to Rs 25,000 for initial contravention and Rs 50,000 for subsequent contraventions”.

On Friday, the education department issued show-cause notice to Bhavan Vidyalaya, Chandigarh, for violating RTE norms while conducting admissions.

A parent told TOI that a school in Panchkula conducted an admission test on February 2. “My daughter gave the test for admission to Class VI. It is also stated on the schools website. They charged Rs 600 for the test and around 200 students appeared out of which 22 were selected,” he said.

On Saturday, Chandigarh Parents Association had complained a school in Sector 38 had mentioned about conducting test and interview for admission purposes.

‘No admission tests up to Class VIII’

According to Chanchal Singh, former deputy director, school education and an RTE consultant with Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said, “There is no provision of any assessment or interaction or test under RTE Act up to Class VIII. No school can decide on the admission b ased on any admission test, interaction or assessment. Parents cannot be interviewed.”

Nitin Goyal, president, Chandigarh Parents Association, said, “CBSE byelaws clearly prohibit any kind of tests, screening or interview of students or their parents for admission in schools. All eligible children are entitled to admission in their age-appropriate class without being subjected to any kind of tests. All these malpractices are mostly done to negotiate and extract money in the shape of donation and capitation fees from helpless parents, who are desperate to get their children admitted in these institutions.”