Delhi: L-G seeks reasons behind fall in enrolment in govt schools
New Delhi: Observing the data published in the Economic Survey 2021-2022 of Delhi government about the decline in enrolment of students in the government schools and significant absenteeism despite the expenditure on the education sector, the L-G Secretariat has written to the Chief Secretary to examine the reasons behind the anomalies.
“The L-G Secretariat has written with the facts along with copies of the Economic Survey asking the Chief Secretary to examine the reasons in larger public interest and put up a note to this effect for L-G’s perusal on priority,” said a Lt. Governor (L-G) office source on Monday.
It has expressed concern that despite the expenditure on education sector by the Delhi government, increasing from Rs 6,145.03 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 11,081.09 crore in 2019-20, there has been a fall in the new enrolment.
Even as the per student per annum expenditure incurred by the government increased from Rs 42,806 in 2015-16 to Rs 66,593 in 2019-20, the number of students enrolled in Delhi government schools declined from 15.42 lakh in 2014-15 to 15.19 lakh in 2019-20.
Similarly, the percentage of students attending classes in Delhi government schools has ranged between 55 per cent to 61 per cent between 2017 to 2022, indicating high absenteeism in the range of about 6 lakh children not attending schools regularly, as per the data.