Delhi government schools neither have the infrastructure nor are the students encouraged to opt for science courses. https://theprint.in/opinion/delhi-govt-schools-abandon-struggling-students-to-inflate-success-rates-many-are-dropping-out/2104679/
The Delhi government quietly redirects students who repeatedly fail in classes 9 and 11 to Patrachar Vidyalaya or Delhi schools conducting open board exams under the guise of proactive support.
They are cleverly labeled as “regular students” of Class 10, and placed in specially focused learning sections dubbed “Vishwas” (trust). The scheme claims that some students remain in the same school, and their exams are conducted through Patrachar Vidyalaya or National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), which effectively omits their passing ratio from the school’s performance metrics.
However, in-depth interviews with school stakeholders—principals, teachers, students, and parents—reveal a troubling reality. Struggling students are selectively filtered to artificially inflate passing percentages. Many of these students, often from the ‘Vishwas’ group, are encouraged to join Patrachar Vidyalaya.
The proliferation of parallel schools catering to students who have failed twice in Class 9 through NIOS boards serves as another smokescreen to mask the true state of affairs. By segregating weaker students from the overall pass percentage, the government avoids accountability and parental ire. Shockingly, our research indicates that a significant 20-30 per cent of students fail in Class 9. Many drop out of the system altogether.
Furthermore, our interviews with parents, students who dropped out, and those who enrolled in Patrachar Vidyalaya, shed light on a concerning trend in dropouts. Parents’ motivation to secure their children’s education appears to be the primary driving force behind enrolment in these alternative boards. Without proper counselling or support from Delhi government schools, students who fail exams are left to navigate their educational journey alone. This lack of assistance pushes many students to abandon their education entirely, highlighting a critical gap in the system’s ability to address dropout rates effectively.
by SHUBH GUPTA