Patna: The Bihar education department has extended the deadline for admissions in private schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act until March 20, after thousands of selected students were yet to secure seats. District authorities have been instructed to ensure that all admissions are completed within the new timeline.
In a directive issued on Wednesday, the department asked District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Programme Officers (DPOs) associated with elementary education and the Samagra Shiksha scheme to expedite the admission process. Officials also warned that strict action could be taken against private schools that fail to comply with the admission guidelines.
Under the provisions of the Right to Education Act, recognised private schools are required to reserve 25% of their seats for children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. To facilitate this, the first phase of the online randomisation process for student selection was conducted across Bihar on February 23.
The initial deadline for completing admissions was March 10, but progress has been slower than expected. Of the 69,193 students selected through the online system, only 40,626 students have been admitted so far, leaving a significant number of seats vacant.
In response, Primary Education Director Vikram Virkar has written to district officials directing them to ensure that all selected students are admitted before the extended deadline. The department has also asked officials to submit proposals for action against schools that are delaying or showing negligence in admitting eligible students under the RTE quota.
