Chandigarh: 30% EWS applicants allotted seats in centralised draw of lots
A maximum of 761 children were allotted seats under pre-primary level one, 35 students for pre-primary level two and 40 students for pre-primary level three
Out of 2,820 applications received by the UT education department for admissions to the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and other disadvantaged groups for non-minority private schools, 836 or 29.6% of applicants were able to get a seat in the centralised draw of lots for the 2024-25 session held by the education department.
As per the officials, three separate draws were conducted for three levels of pre-primary classes. A maximum of 761 children were allotted seats under pre-primary level one, 35 students for pre-primary level two and 40 students for pre-primary level three. These classes have different nomenclatures in different schools but are usually called nursery, lower kindergarten and upper kindergarten classes and are the three classes before Class 1 as per National Education Policy (NEP).
The centralised draw of lots was conducted for all private non-minority schools in the city. There are 64 such schools. The 20 minority schools in the city were exempted from the centralised draw of lots and have conducted the EWS admissions at the school level.
Speaking about what’s next for the students, UT director of school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar said the successful applicants must submit the documents by March 14. If the applicant did not attend school by then with the original documents then the seat will be forfeited.
This is also the first time that all non-minority private schools in the city will offer EWS seats.
This comes in the backdrop of last year’s controversies, when St Kabir Public School, Sector 26 and later Vivek High School, Sector 38, were de-recognised by the UT education department for not reserving seats for EWS students. The matter had then gone to court, while both schools have participated in the centralised draw of lots held by the department for this session.
Minority schools have reserved 15% of the total seats for EWS students and non-minority schools have reserved 25%.
Meanwhile, the admissions for entry-level classes in government schools will also be conducted online for the first time this session. The last date to apply is March 1. Till now the UT education department has received 2,360 applications.