In a bid to ease the burden of overcrowded classrooms in Delhi’s government schools, the education department has decided to proportionately allot students across the schools.
“We are mapping schools for redistribution but a major overhaul cannot be done mid-session. Usually, if a school in an area is burdened, the ones near it will also be burdened. If we shift students to schools that are farther away, they will have to be transported. This cost will borne by the government, not children’s families. When all the under-construction classrooms are completed, and work is progressing at a good pace, a major part of the overcrowding problem will be addressed. This is a particularly tough year because large scale construction is underway. It will be better in future,” said Director of Education Saumya Gupt to The Indian Express.
Briefcase:
- While some schools in Delhi have over 40-60 students in one classroom, some classroom accommodate over 100 students
- It is been identified that overcrowded classroom obstruct the student-teacher interaction ratio and class roll-call
- The decision to overhaul the disproportionate distribution of students across the schools in Delhi was initiated by the education department following the Delhi High Court direction to lessen the burden of over-crowded classrooms. The High Court had also particularly directed the government to overhaul the overcrowded students in the government girls and boys senior secondary schools in Sonia Vihar
- The high court had acknowledged that some schools are functioning from the same premises with different shifts for boys and girls. It came before the court’s notice that the girl shift has around 4, 529 students and boys has around 3,190 students accommodating in the 41-classroom school
- It is believed that the current undergoing construction of school buildings would immensely reduce the burden of over-crowded classrooms
- The Right to Education (RTE) Act mandated one teacher for every class of 30 students. The RTE Act also specified that the schools should be located within the radius of 1 – 3 km for easy commute of the students.
- source”cnbc”