As the admission season for free seats under the 25% Right to Education (RTE) quota draws near, a city-based education activist called on the government to address the issue of residential address mapping first.
The map interface is integrated into the software and helps the applicant parents/guardians to mark their home on Google Maps, which are then considered for admission. This is important because, in the case of RTE admission, distance is a key criterion, as priority is given to the person who lives closest to the schools.
Education activist Shahid Sharif said, “Software needs a complete overhaul, as many people face problems while submitting the form. In the application form when the map interface is opened, the applicant must position the balloon at his residence after which the actual distance is measured automatically. “Sharif also protested to the education department last year but says nothing has yet been done. “If the program is faulty, how can it be used for admissions? Every year, I have parents complaining about this, but nothing happens, “said Sharif. The education department official, who did not wish to be identified, said that it could not be a software error.
“If there was a glitch, thousands of parents would have been affected. Nonetheless, considering that the number is so small, it is obvious that there is a manual error on the part of the applicants. When positioning the balloon, it is likely that the balloon will not drop to precisely the same position as it was intended to create a problem, “the official said.
Once the RTE lottery has been completed, the program assigns seats to students and parents must complete the admission formalities on the basis of that. Hardly a few schools check the actual location where the applicant is living, as it does not matter whether’ A’ or’ B’ is accepted.
