Did you know that schools are not supposed to conduct entrance tests? Read to find out more

THE RIGHT OF CHILDREN TO FREE AND COMPULSORY EDUCATION ACT, 2009 (The Act) clearly states the following: –

  1. Age Group – The target audience of The Act are children in the age group of 6 to 14 years.
  2. Exclusions/Out of Scope – The Act excludes institutions imparting religious instruction so Vedic Pathshalas & Madrasas are outside its scope.
  3. Capitation fees – No school shall collect any capitation fee. The fine for doing so can extend upto 10 times the capitation fee charged by the school.
  4. Screening procedure – No school shall subject a child to a screening procedure. The fine for doing so can extend to Rupees Twenty Five Thousand in the first instance and extend to Rupees Fifty Thousand for subsequent violations.
  5. Age Proof – A child cannot be denied admission for lack of an age proof. However, a birth certificate or other prescribed document is the basis of determining the age of a child for the purpose of admission to a particular grade.
  6. Admission cut-off date – Admission cannot be denied even after the start of the academic year OR even after the extension/grace period as defined in each state/UT. However, a child admitted even after the extended period will need to catch up with the rest of the class.
  7. Expulsion/holding back in a grade – Until completion of elementary education, a child cannot be held back in a particular grade OR expelled from the school.
  8. Physical punishment/Mental Harassment – Both were extensively used in schools in the past (the author has been at the receiving end of both methods in a missionary school) and have now been banned.
  9. Certificate of Recognition from the appropriate government department/ministry – Private schools including pre-schools (like Olivia Montessori) have to obtain a certificate of recognition from the appropriate authority in charge of education at various levels. In the case of Karnataka, the authority is The Department of Public Instruction.
  10.  Board Examinations – There will be no board examinations until the child has completed elementary education (completes Grade 8).
  11.  Elementary completion certificate – an elementary completion certificate is to be awarded to each child at the end of elementary school.
  12. Teacher – Student Ratio –
    1. Grade 1 to Grade 5 – The Act lays down the teacher student ratio for various student numbers
    2. Grade 6 to Grade 8 – The Act lays down the teacher student ratio for various student numbers. Additionally, the requirement of specialist full-time teachers for the following subjects has been introduced: –
      1. Maths & Science
      2. Social Studies
      3. Languages
    3. Requirement of Part-time teachers for the following has been mentioned:-
      1. Art Education
      2. Health and Physical Education
      3. Work Education
  13.  Infrastructure – The Act lists some basic requirements like a boundary wall, separate toilets for girls and boys, playground, safe drinking water, kitchen for cooking the mid-day meal, separate classrooms for each teacher, an office cum store room, etc.
  14. Working days per year – The Act says the minimum number of working days should be
    1. Grade 1 to 5 – 200 working days
    2. Grade 6 to 8 – 220 working days
  15. Instructional hours per year – The Act prescribes the minimum number of instructional hours should be
    1. Grade 1 to 5 – 800 hours
    2. Grade 6 to 8 – 1000 hours

There are a few more areas defined in The Act but we have listed the standout points.

What is worth mentioning at this stage (after listing out the most important points in The Act) is that many schools in the Bengaluru area were found to be screening children at the time of admission, as late as 2019. 

The modus operandi included taking the parents on a tour of the school premises while a teacher was appointed to stay and occupy the child in the office/classroom/play area. While parents were being given the tour, the child was being assessed on spoken language and other skills by being asked to sing a nursery rhyme or solve a puzzle or checking if they are able to identify alphabets/words.

Surprisingly (and quite shocking), was that all schools in particular neighbourhoods were following such practices like a cartel. Equally surprising was putting 4 year olds through such screening.

Olivia Montessori has no such screening process and accepts children into its pre-school from all backgrounds, strata of society, as well as special needs, with the focused aim of giving children the best possible foundation for their later years in Grade 1 and onwards. Olivia Montessori has no hidden fees or charges. When we want to do something special for our children, we look at our own funds before we even think of approaching parents for additional monetary assistance.

Feel free to email your queries/questions to admin@oliviamontessori.com

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