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6,500 to compete for 4,500 seats in Punjab’s Meritorious Schools
Nearly 10,000 students of government schools in state who scored 80% or above in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class-10 examinations this year are eligible for these seats but 3,500-odd have not shown interest. This year, the admission will be through a common entrance test (CET) in all 22 districts on June 12.
Against 4,500 Class-11 seats in nine Schools for the Meritorious in Punjab, a little more than 6,500 students have registered online by Wednesday’s deadline.
Nearly 10,000 students of government schools in state who scored 80% or above in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class-10 examinations this year are eligible for these seats but 3,500-odd have not shown interest. This year, the admission will be through a common entrance test (CET) in all 22 districts on June 12.
Also read I At Punjab’s ‘meritorious’ schools, 2.3% students fail
“The merit list based on the performance in the test will be uploaded on the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan website,” said Meritorious Schools Project director major general KAS Bhullar (retd), adding: “The student response is better than the past two years and we expect the competition to be tougher.” The Class-11 academic session start on July 15. Reminded of vacant posts in meritorious schools, he said staff recruitment was on.
For lukewarm student response to the Meritorious Schools scheme, education experts blame lack of awareness about the facilities. The schools’ students also don’t get Dr Har Gobind Khorana post-Matric Scholarship, which is worth Rs 30,000 a year. Government schools are reluctant to let go of their bright students.
Last year, 5,023 students registered online against 3,000 seats in six Meritorious Schools (Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, SAS Nagar, Patiala).
Entrance on June 12
o Written test in English, mathematics, and science for all streams
o Question paper to be bilingual (English and Punjabi)
o Total marks 150
o Three parts— one subject in each, for 50 marks.
o Qualifying marks: Minimum 16.5 in each part, overall 50%.
About project
o Classes: 11 and 12 (induction in Class 11 only)
o Schools: 9 (Amritsar; Bathinda; Jalandhar; Ludhiana; SAS Nagar; Patiala; Gurdaspur; Hakumat Singh Wala village, Ferozepur; and Ghabdhan village, Sangrur).
