Divisions in 25% quota add to admission agony

MUMBAI: The confusion over selection of students under the Right To Education Act continues. While the government has made it clear that schools will have to admit only those who approach them for admission, the inclusion of SC/ST categories in the 25% quota has schools in a bind.
"Including various bifurcations for admitting students to a mere 25% of seats will make this process more complicated.Students face several problems for junior college admissions, now even school admissions will be chaotic," said the principal of an ICSE school in Andheri. Schools and parents are worried that the admission process will become lengthy and confusing.
Educationists hope that the government has planned effective implementation of the various clauses under the Act. "Once students from economically weaker sections of the society get through to big schools, what is the guarantee that they won't be harassed?" asked Lata Nair, vice-president of PTA United Forum. "Parents might turn out to be a little ambitious and seek admission in IB and ICSE schools, but we need to see if students too can adapt to the new surroundings."
She added that instead of focusing on admission to private schools, the government should focus on quality education in government-aided schools. "The ultimate aim should be to ensure quality education for students, not the name of the school," she added.
"It will take a long time to create the necessary awareness for this process," said Sangeeta Srivastava, principal SVP School and TPB College, Kandivli (W).
Some schools, however, are waiting for an official circular from the state government on this Act. "Ultimately we will have to follow whatever the law expects us to do but the government should first share proper guidelines with us," said Rakesh Joshi, principal of Apeejay School in Nerul.