VIJAYAWADA: Despite clear directives from the State government and the High Court, several private unaided schools across Andhra Pradesh continue to defy Section 12(1)(C) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, by refusing to admit underprivileged children entitled to 25% reservation in Class 1. As a result, more than 7,500 students allotted seats in the first round remain unadmitted.
According to Samagra Shiksha officials, 37,427 applications were received under the RTE quota for Class I admissions. Of these, 28,561 were found eligible. In the first round of allotment, 23,118 students were granted seats, but only 15,541 joined. A second round has now allotted 8,583 seats, with admissions scheduled from June 21 to 28. Final figures will be available after this phase concludes.
However, implementation of the Act remains patchy. Many schools are allegedly refusing to admit students, often citing a lack of official communication or pending fee reimbursements from the government. In one incident in Vijayawada, a parent said his son, selected in the first round, was denied entry by a reputed school. “This is not an inn to serve everyone for free,” a staff member reportedly told him, despite the parent presenting the government order and court directives.
Another parent said school managements claim their associations are still negotiating with the government for reimbursement clarity. “The delay not only denies our children their right to education but also affects benefits like the Talliki Vandanam scheme, which has already closed for the year,” he added.
Parents and activists are demanding urgent intervention. “Of the 23,118 allotted seats, 7,564 are still vacant. We urge the government to ensure immediate admissions,” said Narahari Sikharam, president of the Parents Association of Andhra Pradesh (PAAP). He criticised the Education Department’s inaction and called for criminal cases against schools that deny admissions, collect illegal fees, or harass parents. He also sought refunds for fees collected for higher classes, books, and uniforms, and a probe into violations from 2022 to 2025.
Legal experts echoed the concerns. Advocate Thandava Yogesh said denying admission to RTE-allotted students constitutes contempt of court and recommended cancelling the recognition of such schools.
“As per Section 12(2), the state is bound to reimburse either the per-child expenditure in government schools or the approved private school fee—whichever is lower,” he explained. He alleged that over 85,000 seats exist under the RTE quota, but less than 30,000 admissions have been granted, leaving around 55,000 seats unused.
MR Prasanna Kumar, Samagra Shiksha Additional State Project Director, said over 600 schools have been served show-cause notices. He warned of action against violators and urged parents to report erring institutions.
He also clarified that some rejections stemmed from duplicate applications or mismatched Aadhaar addresses.