A total of 365 private primary schools across Gujarat did not receive a single admission under the Right to Education (RTE) Act this year, despite offering free Class 1 seats. Even after four rounds of admissions, no students chose these schools, raising concerns about the quality of education and infrastructure.
According to education department data, 86,591 students were allotted RTE seats in private schools. Of these, 78,742 students confirmed their admissions, leaving 5,090 seats vacant after all four rounds.
Education experts say many parents avoided certain schools due to concerns about teaching standards, availability of qualified teachers and basic facilities. They believe parents are increasingly giving priority to the quality of education over the benefit of free schooling.
Surat recorded the highest number of schools with zero RTE admissions, with 94 schools in the city and 40 in rural areas, taking the district’s total to 134 schools. It was followed by Valsad (71 schools), Kutch (31) and Ahmedabad city (28).
Other districts with schools receiving no RTE admissions included Ahmedabad rural, Mehsana and Navsari (six each), Gandhinagar rural (five), Chhota Udepur, Dahod, Dangs and Bhavnagar rural (four each), Morbi, Surendranagar and Vadodara rural (three each), and Sabarkantha, Mahisagar, Devbhumi Dwarka and Aravalli (two each).
The figures suggest that while free education is available under the RTE Act, many parents are choosing schools with better academic performance and facilities, even if it means paying school fees.