New Delhi: The Delhi government on Wednesday announced that it has directed private schools in the city to make sure they admit students under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) as allotted by it at the earliest regardless of whether they are able to fulfill their seat requirement under the general category.
Making the announcement on Wednesday, Delhi's Education Minister Manish Sisodia said that they had received around 1.26 lakh applications under the EWS category for admission in private schools of the city. He added that the Delhi government has decided to draw lots for deciding the number of EWS seats in private schools to ensure their right to education.
Based on these applications, the Deputy CM announced, 32,500 seats across private schools in the city had been reserved for those who had applied under the EWS category.
Dy CM Sisodia explained that under the RTE, private schools are required to reserve 25 per cent of their seats for students under the EWS category. He noted that the pandemic had resulted in a "deference" in the admission of students under the general category and said that private schools cannot use this as an excuse to admit fewer students under the EWS category.
The Education Minister hence directed every private school to admit students under the EWS category, based on the allotted list of 32,500 sent by the Delhi government and regardless of the number of admissions in the General Category.
"Under any normal circumstances, private schools admit three students under the general category for every student admitted under the EWS category, based on the allotted list provided by the Delhi Government. This is the general process of admission.
"However, considering lockdown has derailed the entire admission process, there has been a deference in admission for even general category students. Delhi Government has now decided that regardless of admitting students under the general category or not, private schools will have to admit students under EWS category, based on the allotted list sent by the Delhi government," Sisodia said.
Meanwhile, the education minister went on to announce a series of special Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs) for Delhi government schools from July 19 to July 31. Significantly, these will be physical meetings, conducted in small sessions keeping in mind all Covid guidelines, he said, adding that special PTMs in collaboration with MCD school teachers will also be held for students transitioning into the 6th grade from an MCD school.
Sisodia said that even though the pandemic had moved teaching and learning activities online, the role of parents in their children's education has never been more important than it was now and that this is why the PTMs are being held.
"These PTMs will be a space for parents to understand how to provide regular learning support to their children and parents will be required to physically attend these PTMs in schools," the Dy CM said.