Right to Education seats as per parents' address: Is system failing the purpose of RTE?

 

According to a media report, the Department of Education Karnataka will be restricting the right of admission as per the address of parents mentioned in their respective Aadhaar cards. 

 

Earlier, the department made the Aadhaar card mandatory in seats under the Right to Education (RTE) quota and now, with this new development the department is restricting parents' right to choose seat for next year. 

 

As per the report in The Indian Express, an official confirmed that discussions are over and that soon official announcement will be made that parents' can apply for seats under this quota only in accordance with the jurisdiction of address given in Aadhaar card.

 

Right to Education and its implications: 

 

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act' was enacted on August 4, 2009. This act emphasises the importance of free and compulsory education for kids between 6 and 14 in India under Article 21A of the Constitution.

 

Under this act, private schools at pre-primary level or class 1 shall admit at least 25% of that class children from weaker sections and disadvantaged group from the neighbourhood and provide free and compulsory education till its completion. 

 

What the new instruction will do?

 

Since people due to various reasons, like professional requirements, and other purposes relocate to other cities while there Aadhaar card mentions the address of their native place. 

 

Now, as the new instruction does not allow one to apply in seats under RTE beyond the jurisdiction of the address mentioned on the Aadhaar card many people will find it difficult to send their kids to private schools. 

 

Aadhaar card is made on permanent address and therefore, this new order will force the parents to look for schools in their home districts and not anywhere else. 

 

Isn't this failure of the purpose of the act?

 

Since, the act is about free and compulsory education for children and do not set any bar based on location, this new order may fail the entire purpose of the enactment. 

 

For example, Bengaluru is a home of many coming from different parts of the state due to better employment opportunity. But, since their Aadhaar card might have their permanent address they will be barred from applying to reserved seats under RTE.

 

However, till now no official confirmation or instruction has been published by the department but once such an announcement is made it has to be seen how parents react to it.