Students of Dhanas not to be shifted to area's new school

The UT education department has dashed the hopes of around 500 students of the rehabilitation colony at Dhanas by putting their admissions in the area's newly-built Government Model High School on a hold.

The UT education department has dashed the hopes of around 500 students of the rehabilitation colony at Dhanas by putting their admissions in the area's newly-built Government Model High School on a hold.

The students of the area will have to continue studying at their present schools as the department is seeking to first enrol those students who had dropped out of schools.

Backdrop

More than 2,000 children of the erstwhile Colony Number 5 had been adjusted at Government High School (GHS), Sarangpur, Government Model High School (GMHS), Sector 25 and Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Khuda Lahora following the colony's demolition.

On July 13, officials had inaugurated the Government School at Dhanas with an aim of providing quality education to the students of the rehab colony who had to cover long distances for their schooling.

However, according to sources the education department has decided to postpone the shifting of students from GMHS-25, GHS Sarangpur and GSSS-Khuda Lahora to the new Dhanas school.

'Going back on the promise'

A student of GMHS-25 said, "I have been asked to stay in the same school in spite of my parents requesting the officials to transfer me to the school built in my area. We were earlier told that I will be able to study at the school in my locality but now officials are going back on their promises".

Requesting anonymity, an official of GMHS -25 said there were around 150 children from the rehabilitation colony studying at his school and around 200 students were in GHS-Sarangpur. But these students have been asked to the stay in their current schools as the education department was aiming to enrol dropouts first.

"While it is good that the authorities want to give admissions to dropouts, they should also make some arrangements for the local students studying at far-off schools. This would help in reducing the burden of over-admission in a few schools", said a senior teacher from GHS Sarangpur.

Commenting on the issue, director public instructions (DPI) (Schools) Kamlesh Kumar said, "All the senior students will be adjusted in another new high school at Dhanas which is likely to be completed in another two months. Moreover we have decided to operate the newly inaugurated school in double shifts so as to enrol the maximum number of students."