Mangaluru : The office of the Block Education Office, Mangaluru South, in association with students of Govindadasa College, staged street plays in different parts of the city to generate awareness about the Right to Education Act, especially about the 25 per cent free seats for students from economically backward communities.

The students started with a 15-minute long play near the busy SBI junction wherein they highlighted the reservation of 25 per cent seats in the neighbourhood schools. The students then staged the play at Mangaladevi Temple, Kankanady and Kadri Markets, Kuttar and Ullal.

There has been slow progress on applications for claiming free seats for LKG and class I — launched on February 1 — in schools in the district.

As on Thursday, 1,507 applications have been filed for the 1,796 seats available in Dakshina Kannada. Unlike last year, applicants have to choose schools in their neighbourhood and the choice has to be done online. For the 489 seats available in Mangaluru South block, 282 applications have been submitted for admission to class I.

As many as 518 applications has been filed for the 442 seats available for admission in Mangaluru North; 379 applications in Bantwal (418 seats available); 209 applications in Belthangady (190 seats); 174 in Puttur block (370 seats); 120 applications in Sullia Block (92 seats); and 78 in Moodbidri block (124 seats available).

Block Education Officer Jnanesh, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Member Yeshwanti Alva, former Deputy Director of Pubic Instruction Moses Jayashekar and Mangaluru South Police Station Inspector Dinakar Shetty participated in the formal launch of the street play programme at the SBI Circle.