In the current academic year, the student enrollment in Delhi government schools has decreased by over 30,000 compared to the previous year, according to information obtained through an RTI request. In the 2022-23 academic session, there were 17,89,385 students in government schools, but this academic year saw a decrease to 17,58,986, which is 30,399 fewer than the previous session. This data was provided by the Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi, in response to an RTI application.

Delhi has 1,050 government schools and 37 ‘Dr. BR Ambedkar Schools of Specialized Excellence.’ The decline in student numbers was observed in all districts and areas except for northwest A and central Delhi.

In 2023-24, the number of students in government schools in northwest A was 1,87,596, compared to 1,81,450 in 2022-23. Similarly, central Delhi’s government schools saw an increase from 27,580 students in 2022-23 to 28,922 in the current academic year.

An anonymous DoE official stated that during the pandemic, there were more admissions in Delhi government schools, but as the situation returned to normal, some students moved back to private schools. Additionally, student failures in exams contributed to the decline.

Over the past four years, the number of students in government schools increased from 15,05,525 in the 2019-20 academic session to 17,89,385 in 2022-23, with a peak of 16,28,744 in 2020-21 and 17,68,911 in 2021-22 during the pandemic period.

According to the RTI response, the number of science stream students in class 12 increased from 21,285 in 2022-23 to 21,465 in 2023-24. However, the number of commerce stream students decreased from 33,006 in 2022-23 to 26,721 in 2023-24.

The number of students studying arts subjects dropped significantly from 1,74,419 in 2022-23 to 1,06,785 in 2023-24, even lower than the numbers in the 2020-21 academic session.

The All India Parents Association (AIPA) attributed the decline in government school enrollment to the poor education system. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families had enrolled their children in government schools, but later realized that the quality of education in these schools did not meet expectations. Issues such as inadequate education quality, a shortage of regular teachers, and a lack of basic facilities led many students to return to private schools.

Source: PTI

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