District education department sets guidelines for school admissions
Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Dec 12: The District Education Department has issued a set of guidelines for the upcoming admission process to entry classes in private schools, ensuring a transparent and fair selection under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. As per the directive, 75% of the seats in the general category will be allocated through a lottery system, which is scheduled to take place between January 6 and January 17, 2024.
According to the guidelines issued by the District Education Superintendent cum Nodal Officer of the RTE Cell, private schools must complete the lottery process within the given window, ensuring it is conducted in full compliance with RTE norms. Schools are required to announce the lottery date and provide a complete list of students eligible for the lottery by January 4, 2024.
“The lottery process will be held in the presence of a supervisor from the education department. Videography of the entire event will be uploaded to the school’s website for transparency,” stated an official from the District Education Department.
An independent observer, appointed by the Education Department, will oversee the lottery process at each school. The process will be conducted in the presence of at least five parents of children whose names are included in the lottery. Schools are also required to provide all selected children’s information to the District Education Superintendent’s office in a CD or hard copy. If the lottery is conducted using software, a copy of the software will also be submitted in CD format.
The application process for admissions to the 75% of general category seats in private schools was completed in November, with more than 70,000 applications received for approximately 6,000 available seats. Schools have begun the scrutiny process, which is expected to be completed by December 25, 2023.
“Schools are currently reviewing the applications and ensuring they meet the necessary criteria. The scrutiny process will be finalized before December 25, and the lottery will follow as per the scheduled dates,” said a spokesperson from the District Education Department.
By January 4, schools are required to provide details about the general and reserved category seats to the District Education Superintendent’s office. This includes information about the number of seats allocated to different categories and the allocation process for each. If a school has submitted applications for different categories, seats will be allotted accordingly, and those children will be selected compulsorily, ensuring fairness in the selection process.
After the lottery process is completed, schools will display the list of selected students, along with a list of candidates based on their preferences, on the notice board and upload the information on the school’s website. The final list will be available on January 18, 2024, and a copy of the videography of the selection process will be submitted to the DSE office.
“All schools will need to preserve proof of the entire enrolment process to maintain transparency and avoid any issues in the future,” added the official.
CM Schools of Excellence to offer language option in half-yearly exams
In a new development, students of CM Schools of Excellence in the district will have the option to choose the language for their half-yearly examination. The question papers will be provided in both Hindi and English, allowing students to select the language they are most comfortable with. This initiative is designed to ensure that language does not become a barrier for students during the examination.
The half-yearly examinations for government school students in the district are set to begin on December 16. While the examination for classes 1 and 2 will be oral, students from classes 3 to 8 will have a written exam. The CM Schools of Excellence, which are affiliated with the CBSE board, have introduced this option as part of their efforts to accommodate the diverse linguistic needs of their students. Although many of the students in these schools are from Hindi-medium backgrounds, the option of English will be available to ensure that they can comfortably understand and answer the questions.
In addition, newly enrolled students have received science and mathematics textbooks in English, while Hindi versions of social science books are being provided to students of the 2023-24 academic year.
The principal of Sakchi Girls High School, Manju Sinha, explained that the school, which caters to classes 8 through 12 under the JACK Board, is also enrolling students in classes 6 to 8 under the CBSE system. This move aims to ensure that students do not face any difficulties with the language of instruction during their exams.
