RTE law? That’s for normal schools, we’re world-class

Offering excuses like they are only testing kids' literacy levels or helping them find right course with aptitude tests, schools flout Right to Education Act provision that bans pre-admission tests

RTE law? That's for normal schools, we're world-class

Was your child's school admission application rejected because you could not afford to pay a hefty donation that was euphemistically called voluntary contribution? Or, were you asked to submit your income proof and property details in a school admission form? Worse still, was your child subjected to a 'show-off session' that tested his analytical skills and literacy level at the age of two?

Every day, MiD DAY will pick up a different section of the law that prohibits schools from discriminating against students and denying them their right to admission.

In the first part of the series, MiD DAY takes up the issue of schools violating the RTE Act by conducting pre-admission tests and interviews of prospective students under various pretexts. After receiving many complaints from parents, MiD DAY reporters called up schools posing as parents and enquired about the admission process, finding that a large number of schools openly stated they would conduct written tests of students or screen them through aptitude tests to "help parents" make the right decision and decide the standard in which their child should be admitted.

The findings
At Salunkhe Vihar's St Mathews Academy, school officials said parents had to first buy an admission form for Rs 1,000, after which the child has to appear for an entrance test which includes English, maths and Hindi. Later, we checked with the management to get the its side on why it was putting children through the tests. The principal could not be contacted but a spokesperson said the tests were not eliminative but evaluative in nature.
"This will help in planning the development of the child in a systematic manner," the spokesperson said.

Aundh's DAV Public School said that though it did not have seats at present for Std I, admissions would begin after May. The school said that after filling up admission forms for Rs 500, the child would have to appear for a test and only if he or she passed would the admission be possible. Later, however, Kuldeep Mahajan, school administration head, denied any such thing and said tests were merely an assessment and do not decide the child's admission prospects.

At Mohammadwadi's Delhi Public School as well, students applying for admission from Std II onwards have to clear a written test, which is also explicitly mentioned on the school's website. Despite repeated attempts, Principal Neelam Chakravarty was not available for comment.

Even international schools were doing the same. Victorious Kids Educares, which follows an IB curriculum, conducts what it calls an informal assessment to gauge the child's literacy and numeracy. Robbin Ghosh, chairman of the school, said that admissions were strictly on first-come-first-serve basis, but admitted that tests were conducted before admission to guide parents. "Through this we are able to identify the learning style of the child that helps us understand how the child stands and we can guide parents accordingly. It has no impact on the admission process," Ghosh said.

He said the law was drafted as traditional schools refused admissions based on pre-admission evaluation, but world-class schools like Victorious Educares conducted such tests to help parents.

At Akshara International School, after filling admission forms costing Rs 1,500, children have to appear for an entrance test which includes English, maths and Hindi, but there is an option if the child does not know Hindi.

Only after the test does the school carry forward the admission procedure. Principal Vaishalee Paranjape refused to comment on the admission procedures or the assessment test.

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