4,985 students shifted to government schools from private ones in Chandigarh
Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 6
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced many parents to reconsider their penchant for private schools and opt for affordable government ones in the city. Out of 9,233 students of Classes I to VIII, who took admission to government schools this year, 4,985 (53 per cent) are those who have shifted from private schools.
Pay fee till 5 pm today
The Education Department has extended the fee submission date for Class XI in second counselling. The official notice reads, “This is for information of all that the students, who have still not paid fee for Class XI in the second counselling, can do so by logging in with their ID and make the payment by October 7 up to 5 pm.”
This was the first time that the UT Education Department decided to hold admissions through an online centralised system. Around 17,000 seats have been made available for admission to elementary-level classes in 114 government schools. Rubinderjit Brar, Director (School Education), UT, said, “It shows that the general public has reassured and reposed their faith in government schools. Our infrastructure, quality of teaching and teachers are the best in the country. We provide free education, along with nutritional mid-day meal and scholarships, to our students.” “Another factor behind this paradigm shift to government schools is the economic pressure of the pandemic,” Brar said.
This year, the UT Administration had taken a number of measures, including rescheduling of dates for fee submission, no fee hike in the ongoing academic session and collection of only tuition fee from parents. The parents had been demanding a full fee waiver from private schools. Scores of working parents had also staged protests outside private schools and demanded fee waiver after facing lay-offs and salary cuts.
