RTE rules apply from LKG, schools told

Private unaided schools in the state will have to allocate 25% of seats in the lower kindergarten, and not just class 1, for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The school education department announced the long-awaited admission guidelines under theRight to Education Act at a meeting of school heads called by the inspector of matriculation schools in various educational districts on Friday.

Academics said the state had taken a bold decision to include children as young as three or four, even though the Act only covered children from 6 to 14 years. Child rights activists have been campaigning for the inclusion of children from 0 to 18 years in the Act.

Reading out circulars from the school education department, the inspector aid that admission for the 25% reserved seats must be done in May. Separate applications must be issued to parents or guardians in the first week of May, and the filled in applications must be collected in the third week. Admissions must be done based on random selection in the fourth week and the candidate list put up on the notice board. Admissions must be carried out till December if there are vacancies in the reserved seats.

"It will be convenient to fill the 25% reservation in LKG rather than Class 1, as that would require making arrangements for additional infrastructure. But, admitting children till December will put pressure on the teacher, as there will be an imbalance in the class," said a school head, who declined to be named.