As many as 571 private schools in the district have yet to register under Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, raising concerns over the implementation of the mandatory 25% quota for children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups. This provision applies to all private, unaided, and non-minority schools, which are required to reserve entry-level seats for eligible students.
The school education department had previously issued directions to all such schools, asking them to mandatorily register on the official school registration portal. Under RTE norms, children from families with an annual income below ₹8 lakh, Scheduled Caste students with no income limit, backward class and other backward class students from the non-creamy layer, as well as children of war widows and destitute parents, are eligible for admission under the quota.
According to a list released on Friday, the highest number of unregistered schools are from Ludhiana-1 block with 127 schools, followed by Mangat-2 (116), Mangat-1 (74) and Ludhiana-2 (65). Other affected blocks include Dehlon-2 with 18 schools, Doraha with 16, Jagraon with 13, Khanna-1 with 12, Khanna-2 with 17, Machhiwara-1 with eight, Machhiwara-2 with seven, Mangat-3 with 29, Pakhowal with four, Raikot with 22, Samrala with 11, Sidhwan Bet-1 with five, Sidhwan Bet-2 with four, Sudhar with 16 and seven from other areas.
Several prominent schools featured on the list, including Nankana Sahib Public School, Guru Nanak Public School, DAV Public Senior Secondary School and Delhi Public School from Khanna, Sacred Heart Convent School, MGM Public School, Spring Dale, Ryan International School, Dugri, Jesus Sacred Heart School, KVM School, DCM Young Entrepreneurs School, Greenland Convent School, Civil City, USPC Jain Public School, among others.
Manoj Kumar, deputy district education officer (elementary) and nodal officer of the programme, said the original deadline of January 12 was first extended to January 19 and has now been pushed to January 26. He added that several schools have complained about the slow functioning of the e-Punjab portal, which may lead to a further extension if required.