Govt English medium schools in demand

There is a big demand for English medium schools set up by the state government at the Class 1 level for the current academic year.

Admissions for Class 1 English medium commenced from May 29 for the academic year 2019-20, and since day one the demand for seats is increasing. While the department of primary and secondary education has fixed the intake per school at 30, several schools have already received more than 60 applications.

For instance, the government school at Sarakki in Bengaluru South has received over 65 applications, and the school authorities have requested the department to open an additional section.

An official from the Department of Public Instruction said, “We are getting requests seeking additional sections across the state. But we need to bring it to the notice of higher officials.”

“The demand is high in Anekal taluk in Bengaluru, Hassan, Mandya, Ballari, Belagavi, Chikkballapur, Kolar and Mysuru districts,” said the official.

However, the department has decided to stick to only one section for the first year as it has started English medium at 1,000 schools on a pilot basis. A senior official from the department told DH, “As it is the first year, we need to wait and watch. We have decided to stick to a single section despite the demand.”

Lottery

Meanwhile, the department has asked school authorities to select students through a lottery.

Dr Reju M T, commissioner for the department of public instruction said, “We are gathering data from all the 1,000 schools and yes there is a demand for additional sections. But, for this year, we are sticking to a single section.”

Reju even said, “In case of demand for admissions, we have asked the school authorities to select applications through a lottery at the school level.” According to officials, this is due to lack of resources.

“As of now, teachers can handle a single section of 30 students. We should be well prepared before we admit more students,” say officials.