Govt school students to get professional coaching

In a bid to offer a level playing field to children from government schools, the Delhi government will provide selected students with professional coaching to help them get admission in premier engineering and medical institutions across the country.

Chief Minister’s Super Talented Children Scholarship Scheme will started from this academic year.

The Directorate of Education will conduct screening tests within a week for class 11 and 12 Science students studying in Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalayas and in 54 Model Delhi Government Schools being started as a pilot scheme.

Some 250 class 11 and 150 class 12 students will be selected this year for premier institutes which coach for medical and engineering entrance tests. Vidyamandir, FIIT-JEE and Aakash coaching institutes have been shortlisted for the pilot project, the government said.

Class 11 students will undergo intensive coaching of at least 850 hours at the designated training institute closest to their residence, a government statement said. Class 12 students will be coached for at least 500 hours.

The selected students will also get free DTC and Metro passes to travel between their homes and the training institutes.

The coaching institutes have agreed to charge only around one-third of the normal fee to Delhi government.

Education Minister Manish Sisodia said most children from the government schools do not get into IITs, NITs, medical colleges and dental colleges. “The reason is lack of resources and guidance during their school days,” he said.

The minister said that in government schools hardly 5-10 per cent students choose the high-scoring Science stream.