Delhi govt, MCDs to join hands for smooth transition of students to Class 6

The Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) and the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) on Tuesday joined hands to track each student who transitioned from corporation schools to government ones in Class 6 this year

The Delhi government’s Directorate of Education (DoE) and the Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) on Tuesday joined hands to track each student who transitioned from corporation schools to government ones in Class 6 this year.

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The move comes after government schools faced several challenges in tracking such students last year as their admissions were done virtually due to the closure of schools in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Every year, around 170,000 students move from municipal schools that offer education only up to Class 5 to government schools in Class 6.

Owing to the pandemic, the induction of such students is happening online this year as well, on the basis of names sent by municipal schools. As per the official data, only 76% of the students who transferred from municipal schools last year could be traced.

On June 8, Hindustan Times reported that the Delhi government was planning to collaborate with the three civic bodies to track and trace Class 6 students who were transferred to DoE-run schools.

Education minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday chaired a meeting with the municipal commissioners of North, South, and East Delhi corporations on the matter.

During the meeting, Sisodia asked the three corporations to provide the correct contact details of transferred students. “Last year, at the beginning of the session, only about 30-35% of students’ phone numbers were correct. So, a large number of students could not get the worksheets or participate in the semi-online classes. Government school teachers made special efforts to ascertain the whereabouts of these children and, eventually, 76% of students enrolled in Class 6 could be reached,” the government said in a statement.

“We should ensure that students transitioning from MCD to DoE schools get the same emotional and learning support that students of other classes enjoy. Joint efforts between MCD and DoE school teachers will help tremendously in getting the correct contact details of students,” Sisodia said.

Initially, government schools will try to contact students and in case their phone numbers are found to be incorrect, the municipal teachers will try to find out the correct details with the help of their other students. “Apart from contact details, the MCD teachers may also share details about each student’s special circumstances, if any, including but not limited to the death of a parent/parents, emotional support requirements, medical history etc, so that the DoE schools are better prepared to support these students,” the government statement said.

Both the DoE and MCD run schools will also conduct a combined parent teacher meeting (PTM) for Class 6 this July.

MCD officials said they have also been asked to provide details of students who have not been attending online classes or visiting schools to collect worksheets. “Due to the no-detention policy (no student can be declared failed up to class 8), we have to transfer all Class 5 students to Class 6. There are many students who are not in touch with their feeder schools and we have to provide details of such students to the DoE schools.Together, we will make efforts to trace them,” said a senior official of the east civic body’s education department.