Mumbai: School violates RTE Act by interviewing kids, parents approach BMC

Children continue to be interviewed and screened during school admissions despite the Right to Education RTE Act banning these practices Recently two parents filed complaints with the education department of the BMC alleging that their children were not only subjected to the interviewsscreening process but also rejected by a reputed school in PrabhadeviParents have alleged that kids applying for kindergarten admissions to the Convent Girlsrsquo High School were made to face interviews screening processes in which they had to identify colours shapes fruits and vegetables and also recite rhymes The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 aims to ensure equitable access to education and explicitly prohibits schools from conducting screening procedures for children or parents during the admission process as mandated in Section 13The parents with the help of Yuva Sena approached the BMC education officer and complained about the school This is not the first time the school violated rules Earlier there was also a case where a temporary teacher was found to be taking money from parents for admission How can the school conduct interviews for little children Arent they aware screening children for admission is banned under the RTE said Pradeep Sawant Yuva Sena leader and former senate member of Mumbai UniversityParentsrsquo versionSachin Hirve a parent who sought admission for his daughter in Junior KG recounted ldquoAfter submitting our application we were notified to attend a document review session at 9 am on February 12 Our turn arrived at 230 pm Anticipating a shorter delay we had not brought any food or refreshments our daughter was left famishedrdquoAccording to parents schools get around the rule by terming screenings as lsquointeractionsrsquo or lsquodocuments reviewrsquo and conducting oral interviews which leave no record ldquoConsidering that they were inviting children for Junior KG admissions a more welcoming and cheerful environment should have been created The prolonged waiting period caused children to become irritable and anxiousrdquo said another parent on the condition of anonymityAccording to Hirve he opted for the school primarily because of its proximity to his residence ldquoMy daughter is generally outgoing especially around familiar people However when asked to recite rhymes and identify shapes during the admission process she got nervous as the environment was unfamiliar and the principal conducting the assessment was a stranger to herrdquo said Hirve ldquoI requested a few minutes from the principal but I was informed that this was not permitted The admission was denied with the justification that my daughter doesnrsquot talk This kind of treatment can significantly impact a childrsquos confidence and moralerdquo he addedA senior education officer emphasised that if the school is indeed conducting screening appropriate action will be taken as it violates the RTE ldquoAdmission should be offered on a firstcomefirstserved basis or through a random selection process like a lottery Preference can also be given to siblingsrdquo the official saidPrincipal SpeakSister Asha Almeida principal of Convent Girlsrsquo High School acknowledged that interviews had been conducted She stated It is entirely false to claim that we rejected any studentrsquos admission On February 12 we called 40 applicants for interviews all of whom were granted admission ldquoWhen informed of the prohibition against interviewing students for admission under the RTE Act Sr Almeida responded ldquoIf we dont conduct interviews how will we assess the childrsquos communication skills Just basic questions are askedrdquoSr Almeida attributed this to the actions of Sawant alleging that he has been stirring up unnecessary issues Sawant said ldquoWe do not hold any personal grudge against the school Parents bring their complaints to us and we assist them Furthermore I want to emphasise that it is the responsibility of the education department to investigate if schools persist in screening children for admissionsrdquo Parents meanwhile indicated their intention to lodge complaints with other education offices within a day or two Confirming receipt of the complaint Raju Tadvi BMC education officer private schools said ldquoWe will dispatch our inspector to investigate the matterrdquoFeb 12Day interviews were held