‘34% EWS seats in private schools vacant this year’

NEW DELHI: More than a third of the seats in entry-level school grades (nursery, kindergarten and Class 1) meant for students from economically weaker section (EWS) families have not been filled this academic year.

The gap remains despite several interventions by the government. The schools have cited low enrolment of general category children which, they say, has meant that the proportionate number of EWS category students has also reduced. The quota of 33,000 is set as a ballpark figure by the government, but schools admit EWS students in a ratio of 1:3 – that is, one EWS student for every three general ones.

“Of the around 33,000 seats allotted to EWS children this year, around 21,850 (66%) have been filled. The remaining could not be filled as the pandemic affected the general category admissions this year,” said a senior directorate of education (DOE) official, who asked not to be named.

India’s Right to Education (RTE) makes it mandatory for schools to set aside at least 25% of their capacity for Ews/disadvantaged group (DG) students.

Of the 33,000 seats, 29,900 are in Doe-affiliated schools and the remaining in schools recognised by municipal corporations.

Acting on complaints by parents, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia announced in June that all EWS children allotted seats in private schools will be given admission, regardless of general category admissions. But, in a circular released in July, DOE allowed private schools to seek exemption on the grounds of low general category admissions.

“According to a Delhi high court order, EWS admissions and general category admissions have to be in the category of 1:3. So, the department allowed schools to file for exemption only if they had taken all necessary steps to fill general category seats. We received applications from several schools and those that did not show adequate efforts were not given the exemption. The department is still coordinating with district education department officials to ensure remaining students are not left out of the loop,” the official said.

Experts said the DOE order resulted in several schools filing for exemption and leaving EWS students at a disadvantage. Ekramul Haque, who runs NGO Mission Taleem that works with underprivileged children, said: “Despite the deputy CM’S announcement, there are blatant violations taking place using the exemption. We have flagged multiple such cases to the education department from Bawana, Mehrauli, Yamuna Vihar, and several parts of Delhi but there has been no response.”