New Delhi: As the 2024-25 academic session approaches, private schools in Delhi are facing a persistent challenge: a significant number of unfilled seats, particularly those reserved for students from economically weaker sections (EWS). Despite multiple rounds of admissions, many schools are struggling to fill these seats, raising concerns about compliance with the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
Unfilled EWS Seats: A Growing Concern
The issue has been significant over the past few years. In the 2023-24 academic year, nearly 6,000 out of 35,000 available seats across 2,001 recognized private schools remained unfilled, even after several rounds of admissions. This trend continues to be a concern as the new academic session looms.
On August 9, the Directorate of Education (DoE) issued a directive to all private schools in Delhi, instructing them to verify their EWS vacancies by Saturday. The directive emphasized that schools must admit all successful candidates allocated through the lottery system, which is used to assign students to schools by random selection. Importantly, schools have been warned that they cannot deny admission by claiming “no vacancy.”
Current Vacancy Status
According to documents accessed by The Indian Express, around 450 EWS seats in Class 6 remain vacant across 403 private schools in Delhi for the 2024-25 academic session. The issue of unfilled seats is not limited to Class 6; Class 2 has 253 unfilled seats, Class 3 has 214 vacancies, and Class 9 has approximately 260 vacant seats.
The vacancy issue also extends to the open category seats. Class 6 shows the highest number of tentative vacancies with 2,027 unfilled spots. Other grades also reflect this trend, with Class 2 having 1,032 probable vacancies and Class 9 having 1,354 tentative vacancies, according to DoE data as of August 9.
Maxfort School in Dwarka is one such institution grappling with this issue, reporting 108 open category vacancies and 27 EWS category vacancies in Class 2 alone.
Legal Mandates and Compliance Issues
The RTE Act mandates that private schools reserve 25% of their seats for children from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. However, the persistent vacancy issue suggests that compliance with this mandate remains a challenge for many schools. A recent petition in the Delhi High Court has intensified efforts to address the problem of unfilled EWS seats in higher grades.
Notably, some of Delhi’s most prestigious institutions, including branches of Delhi Public School and Modern School, have reported no vacancies, highlighting the disparity in seat occupancy across different schools.
Impact and Way Forward
The ongoing issue of unfilled EWS seats raises questions about the implementation of the RTE Act and the equitable distribution of educational opportunities. As the academic session draws near, it remains to be seen how effectively the DoE and private schools will address these vacancies and ensure that deserving students from economically weaker sections receive their rightful access to quality education.
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