1,332 seats under RTE quota remain vacant in Coimbatore district

By U Archana
COIMBATORE: As many as 1,332 seats under the Right to Education (RTE) quota remain vacant in Coimbatore district, with the mandatory 1km distance norm cited as a key reason for rejection of eligible applicants.

Of the 3,423 seats available in 330 private schools, only 2,091 students had enrolled thus far, sources said. May 18 was the last date for applying.

Marumalarchi Makkal Iyakkam president V Eswaran, who has filed a petition challenging the distance criterion, said more than 50% of eligible students were unable to apply solely due to the norm, leaving economically weaker parents unable to seek admission in preferred schools despite vacancies. The matter is scheduled to be heard in the Madras high court on Friday.

Eswaran sought a wider distance limit on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalayas and flagged the absence of CBSE schools on the RTE list, besides low awareness among parents.