‘Drop in government school enrolment because of fewer MCD schools’

In Delhi, MCD schools hold classes for students up to class 5 after which students must seek admission in Delhi government-run schools or private schools that conduct classes till class 12.

Explaining the reduction in enrolments to Delhi government schools between 2013-2014 and 2017-2018, the Delhi government said the drop could be attributed to mushrooming of private schools and comparatively fewer municipal corporation-run schools.

Explaining the reduction in enrolments to Delhi government schools between 2013-2014 and 2017-2018, the Delhi government said the drop could be attributed to mushrooming of private schools and comparatively fewer municipal corporation-run schools. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

In Delhi, MCD schools hold classes for students up to class 5 after which students must seek admission in Delhi government-run schools or private schools that conduct classes till class 12. While the total number of children in MCD schools is around 44 lakh, of these only 34% are enrolled in schools run by the Delhi Government.

“Between 2011 and 2019, the number of private schools increased by 630. In the corresponding period, while the number of Delhi government-run schools increased marginally (50), number MCD schools decreased by 86,” the government stated on Thursday.

It added that in this time, the number of students enrolled in private schools increased by 4.8 lakh whereas number of students enrolled in MCD schools decreased by 2.5 lakh.

According to the Delhi government’s Economic Survey report, 15.75 lakh students had enrolled in 969 Delhi government schools in 2012-2013 period. This number fell by 8% in the 2017-2018 academic session when only 14.81 lakh students sought admission in the 1,019 schools run by the Delhi government.

“Delhi’s government schools mainly get its students from MCD schools. If there are fewer students there, enrollment in government schools will also go down,” a Delhi government official said.

“The creation of new private schools meant that enrollment numbers for them would automatically go up,” a Delhi government official said.