E-Paper
12% school students have left Chandigarh amid migrant exodus triggered by Covid-19
This came to light after 9,000 students failed to turn up to get their textbooks for the new academic session, which were distributed for Classes 1 to 8 by the education department .
Almost 12% of the total students enrolled in government schools of Chandigarh have returned to their native states along with their families during the period of lockdown.
This came to light after around 9,000 students failed to turn up to get their textbooks for the new academic session, which were distributed for classes 1 to 8 by the education department .
Only 64,033 students out of 73,075 have received the books. Most of the students who failed to turn up are children of migrant labourers who have gone back with their families, say the teachers responsible for distribution.
It is estimated that the figure of 12% could still be higher considering that the present data has only been collected for classes 1 to 8. Around 25,000 students are enrolled in primary and senior secondary classes do not find a mention in the data because they were not a part of the distribution drive.
The textbooks were distributed in a total 114 schools barring the government high schools of sectors 52, 56, and all the schools under cluster no 5—Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 26—as they fall under the containment zone.
A teacher teaching at GMSSS Dhanas on the condition of anonymity said, “Most of the students who study here belong to Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Many are children of migrant labourers who have gone back now.”
A senior UT education department employee said, “Whether the children will come back or not depends on how the formal schooling resumes after the lockdown. The Government of India is also silent on the mass migration of students along with their families. It’s not clear if in the middle of the session these students will be given admission in these schools again or if they will have to get re-enrolled in their respective states.”
Commenting on the issue, Rubinderjit Singh Brar, director school education, also attributed the absence of students to reverse migration. He said, “Migration could be a plausible reason (for students not turning up).” When asked about the department’s future course of action, Brar said it will be worked out at an appropriate stage.