Nearly 90% Delhi govt school kids have access to smartphones: DCPCR survey
new delhi: The Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights has now found that 89.5 per cent of students in Delhi government schools here had access to a smartphone and that of the children studying in civic-body-run schools, 83.1 per cent had access to a smartphone. The study also showed that 83.1 per cent of MCD school students and 84.4 per cent of Delhi government school students reported having access to internet facilities.
The child rights body had conducted two studies with respect to the retention rate of students under the EWS and DG (disadvantaged group) and the well being and education of students in Delhi government and MCD schools here.
Conducted from July 4-24, the survey on retention rates included a sample of 1,500 families selected through stratified sampling. "There was an 88.97 retention rate observed in children being admitted under EWS, DG quota. The retention rate for children with special needs was at 86 per cent," the study concluded. Some of the major challenges reported by the parents of poor students included a lack of special educators in schools and discrimination against the child or parent.
While 53 per cent of children admitted under these sections were provided with free books and uniforms, 14.5 per cent were charged an additional fee. In 36 per cent cases, the distance of the school from the child's home was reported as the leading cause of not continuing education at the allocated schools whereas 11 per cent showed an inability to pay additional charges.
DCPCR chairperson Anurag Kundu said, "It is critical we retain these children in schools. It is heartening to note that nearly 89 per cent of these children are in schools years after they were admitted. The survey has revealed aspects where we can do better, and we will."
In the second study on well being and education of students in Delhi government and MCD schools, 1,654 students studying in DoE-run schools and 509 students of MCD schools were sampled from primary (up to class 5), middle (class 6-8) and grade 12.
As per the report, 8.6 per cent of MCD school students and 5.6 per cent of DoE school students said they are temporarily migrating from Delhi and would come back when schools reopened, whereas 0.8 per cent and 0.2 per cent of the respective categories said they are leaving Delhi permanently.
The DCPCR chief said the surveys were conducted to answer some important questions about child welfare in schools to better inform public discourse and policy decisions about children during the pandemic.
