School of Eminence scheme: Challenges galore for teachers following Class 6 discontinuation at Ludhiana govt schools
Selected schools have been directed to turn down students’ requests for admission to Class 6 and assist them in getting enrolled in nearby govt schools
The education department’s direction to discontinue Class 6 at the government schools selected under the “School of Eminence Scheme” has put the heads and teachers at the schools in a tight spot, as they have been directed to arrange admission of students at nearby schools.
As many as 16 schools in the district have been selected under the scheme which will help in creating a special atmosphere for students of classes 9 to 12 while the rest of the classes will be gradually discontinued with each year. Schools have been directed to turn down the students seeking admission in Class 6 and assist them in getting admission to nearby government schools.
Currently, there are around 2,000 students studying in Class 6 at government schools in Ludhiana.
Government Model School, Model Town, which is among the selected schools has 77 students in Class five and here the students will not be promoted to the next class as per the official instructions. As the nearby high schools are at a distance, arranging admissions while keeping the convenience of students and parents would be a cumbersome task, said a teacher requesting anonymity.
Government Smart School, Sekhewal, which currently has 192 students faces the same situation. The teachers said the school caters to an area hosting a migrant population and factory workers who come from locations as far as several kilometres, including Chandigarh road and Tajpur road.
They added that other government schools nearby, including government multi-purpose schools and cemetery road schools are already running in double shifts due to a lack of infrastructure. They added that students who would be unable to shift to nearby schools will ultimately prefer private schools.
A government school principal stated that while it has been said that around 30,000 students will be admitted to 116 selected schools in the district, there are no clear instructions regarding the number of seats and batches in each school.
District education officer Harjit Singh said the policy to upgrade nearby primary schools to start new classes there is under discussion. The education department will provide infrastructure to primary schools so that they can start Class 6 there to accommodate the students, he added.
The schools which have been selected are GGSSS Shaheed-E_Azam Sukhdev Thapar, GMSSS Miller Ganj, GSSS Doraha, GSSS Jagraon, GSSS Sahnewal, GGSSS Khanna, GSSS Mundian Kalan, GSSS Gill, GSSS Samrala, GMSSS Model Town, GSSS Baddowal Cantt, GSSS Division number three, GSSS Jawahar Nagar, GSSS Indrapuri, GSSS Dadhahur, GSSS Sekhewal.
Out of 16 schools, 11 are in urban areas while five fall into rural areas.
The last date to register for the entrance test for admission in Class 11 at SOE has been extended till April 4, while registration for Class 9 ended on March 15. The exam for Class 9 will be conducted on March 26, while the date of entrance exam for Class 11 will be decided later. Over 9,000 students in the district have registered for the entrance exam.
