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Parents queue up at Kerala Samajam Model School to buy admission forms on Friday. Picture by Bhola Prasad
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Parents of Jamshedpur are stopping at nothing — from going on pilgrimages to splurging on as many admission forms as possible — to ensure a school seat for their ward.
In the second year running of entry-level school admission by random selection via manual lottery or through software Saras to conform to RTE Act (2009) norms, worried parents are courting Lady Luck any which way they can.
“All schools will follow random selection under RTE Act with 25 per cent reservation for poor students. Few missionary schools claim to be minority unaided institutions outside reservation purview but we have to check that,” said Prakash Kumar, additional district programme officer.
This, however, has not gone down well with parents.
“Earlier, we coached toddlers to be well-spoken and smart. Merit counted. Now it is luck,” said a harried mother who did not want to be named.
“Yes, we do visit temples before buying forms for our son,” said Biplab Ghose, an executive with TBCL Construction.
“Last year, I bought nursery forms of five schools for my daughter but she did not make it. I am trying for LKG now and have bought forms from 10 schools,” said Manoj Kaushik, a banker.
While most private schools issued admission forms before the Pujas, some are doing that in November. Kerala Samajam Model School issued forms on November 1 and 2, Loyola School dates are November 3 and between 5 and 9.
District officials said the race for admission was limited to the top 10 or 20 schools. Low-profile cradles did not face crowds.
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