E-Paper
148 more Delhi govt Sarvodaya schools to have nursery classes soon
New Delhi: The Delhi government is planning to introduce nursery classes in around 148 more Sarvodaya Vidyalayas from the next academic session, with an aim to increasing learning opportunities for children below 6 years in the national capital.
A document enlisting the Directorate of Education’s (DoE) “Vision 2030” plans stated, “Discussion was held on enacting legislation making it the right of every child below 6 years to get good quality early childhood care and education enabling them to grow healthy, cognitively and emotionally developed. It’s decided that in remaining schools (Sarvodaya) nursery classes will be introduced from the next academic year.”
Of the 1,030 government-run schools in Delhi, 449 Sarvodaya Vidyalayas have primary sections up to class 5. Of these, 301 have nursery classes. Besides, around 1,700 schools run by the three municipal corporations in Delhi offer primary education from nursery to class 5.
HT had on Friday reported that the directorate had told different departments it had approved their projects for the implementation of Vision 2030 after consulting stakeholders and had set tentative timelines. Among the other projects approved by the DoE were the creation of at least one school of excellence (SoE) in each district, teaching foreign language in government schools, connected classrooms and exchange programmes for students.
For the establishment of nursery classes in the remaining sarvodaya schools, the DoE asked its school branch to come up with a plan by October.
A senior official in Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia’s office said, “Keeping in mind the high demand and low availability of nursery classes in government schools in Delhi, it’s been decided to introduce nursery in the remaining sarvodaya schools. So, we are exploring where we have enough space to construct more classrooms.”
Experts working in the field of education said more children from marginalised families will get opportunities to get an early education.
Ekramul Haque of Mission Taleem, an organisation working for children from economically weaker section (EWS) households in Delhi, said, “ An increase in the number of nursery seats in Delhi government schools will also help families who struggle to enrol their children in private schools.”