Applications from VIPs make it tough for schools to control enrolments
The implementation of the new education policy by the UT education department to restrict the increasing number of enrolments in government schools does not seem to be an easy job. The policy, which aimed to enrol students according to the RTE guidelines that state that there should not be more than 40 students in a section, is faced with applications from VIPs to admit their wards in the schools, affecting the strength in classrooms.
The implementation of the new education policy by the UT education department to restrict the increasing number of enrolments in government schools does not seem to be an easy job.
The policy, which aimed to enrol students according to the RTE guidelines that state that there should not be more than 40 students in a section, is faced with applications from VIPs to admit their wards in the schools, affecting the strength in classrooms.
According to a few schools officials, the policy cannot be fully implemented until the culture of VIP applications is not made to stop.
“The classrooms in my school are already flooded with students. There are over 60 students in each section in higher classes and I am getting applications for more admissions from the VIPs. There is no option for me but to give admissions to them thus making it impossible for us to match the conditions of RTE for the enrolments,” said a principal of a Government Model School.
Another principal of a government school claimed that it would not be at all easy for the department to control the enrolments.
“There is lot of difference in the enrolment of a model school and a simple high school. Even if the officials want to shift few students in those schools where enrolment is less even then they cannot force any student to change the school. Suppose, there were 70 students in Class 8 and all of them got promoted to Class 9 then we cannot restrict the strength to 40 or 45 in a section of Class 9,” he said.
A senior official in education department said that requests from officials from different departments are a trend and not much could be done about it.
Commenting on the situation, Kamlesh Kumar, DPI (schools) said that department is going to raise the standards of government schools in order to reduce the burden on top schools.
“Schools will be asked to write English and Hindi medium available on a board which would be displayed outside the schools as everyone want to admit their children in a model school. Thus we are going to make all the schools rich in infrastructure and well equipped. In that case, parents would admit their wards in the nearby school and this would be a great help in balancing the strength in schools. We are trying hard to get the enrolment controlled as per RTE and with time, we would definitely achieve the target,” said Kumar.