Private schools face action for denying RTE admissions without valid reason

The Directorate of Elementary Education has warned private recognised schools in Haryana that their recognition may be withdrawn if they deny admissions under the RTE Act without valid justification. Schools have been instructed to update the student admission tracking portal by July 16.

As per official data, 11,803 students were allotted private schools across the state under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, and the admission process, which began on July 1, was to be completed by July 11. Schools were directed to upload details of admitted or rejected students on the Education Department portal. In case of rejection, a valid reason and supporting documents were required.

However, until July 11, only 31.63% of the admission data had been updated. Of the 11,803 students, 2,358 admissions were accepted, 1,375 were rejected and records of 8,070 students from 2,664 schools remained unverified.

An official from the department said it is mandatory for schools to update the admission status on the portal. “It was found that a large number of private schools had not updated their status by July 11. Due to this unsatisfactory progress, the deadline has now been extended to July 16,” the official added.

In a separate communication, the Directorate noted that some schools had denied admissions based on the student’s distance from the school — specifically within the 1-3 km range. The department clarified that both 0-1 km and 1-3 km are valid criteria under RTE norms and no school can reject an applicant on that basis.

“The schools that have denied admissions based on the 1-3 km distance must admit the students and update the tracking portal accordingly. If the admission is denied without a proper reason, and the admission status is not updated, the school’s recognition will be liable for cancellation,” the directive stated.

Ambala District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) Sudhir Kalra said: “It was observed that data of a large number of students was not verified by the schools. Instructions have been given to Block Education Officers to check the list of private schools in their respective areas and get the data updated, else the department will initiate action.”

Meanwhile, Kulbhushan Sharma, president of the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), acknowledged the importance of compliance: “Schools must follow the guidelines and give admissions to children from economically weaker sections under the RTE Act. At the same time, the department should also follow RTE norms and clear the previous dues.”

Haryana Tribune