“I am a driver and my daughter is six and has to be admitted to class 1. I was hoping my daughter would enrol in a good private school through the RTE (Right To Education) Act quota. But no private schools in our ward are covered under RTE this year. I cannot afford the private school fees. I don’t know what to do,” Nagaraj, a parent from Banashankari in south Bengaluru, said, feeling disappointed and helpless.
Among the most debated provisions of the RTE Act is setting aside 25% of seats in private schools for children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. While the legislation promised free and compulsory education for all children until the completion of elementary schooling, this specific provision also opened the doors of private schools for children from all sections. The Act was enacted in 2009, and the rules for the Act were framed and implemented in Karnataka from April 28, 2012.
Under this system, the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) invites applications from eligible candidates for the selection of RTE seats, which are allocated through a lottery system. However, one can apply for RTE seats only within the neighbourhood or ward, with specified distance criteria. The government reimburses the children’s fees. In the academic year 2018-19, a total of 14,000 private schools across Karnataka had to give 1,20,055 RTE quota seats.
