New Delhi: The lieutenant governor’s office has written to the chief secretary to examine the reasons behind the decline in enrolment and “high absenteeism” in Delhi government schools despite an increase in expenditure on education, based on data published in the Economic Survey 2021-22, sources said. Raj Niwas sources said LG VK Saxena “observed with concern” the data published in the survey, detailing a decline in enrolment of students in Delhi government schools and significant absenteeism despite the expenditure in the education sector increasing from Rs 6,145.03 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 11,081.09 crore in 2019-20. As a result of the increase in expenditure, the per student per annum expenditure incurred by Delhi government on education increased from Rs 42,806 in 2015-16 to Rs 66,593 in 2019-20, sources said. The letter mentioned that despite the substantial increase in investment in the education sector, both in absolute terms and as part of the total budget, it was seen that during the same period enrolment in Delhi government schools declined from 15.42 lakh in 2014-15 to 15.19 lakh in 2019-20. There was no immediate response from Delhi government regarding the letter sent by the LG Secretariat. Sources said the LG’s office also mentioned that according to information provided by the Directorate of Education, the percentage of students attending classes in Delhi government schools was declining and the percentage of attendance was in the range of 55% and 61% between 2016-17 and 2019-20, which indicated high absenteeism of approximately 6 lakh children not attending schools regularly. It was also mentioned in the letter that the LG had observed with concern the decline in enrolment and significant absenteeism of students despite high investment made by the government in improving school infrastructure and teaching and learning processes, sources said. The LG Secretariat has asked the chief secretary to examine the reasons for this anomaly in larger public interest and a note should be forwarded to the office on priority examination by the LG. According to the Economic Survey 2021-22, enrolment in Delhi government schools was 15.42 lakh in 2014-15, 15.09 lakh in 2015-16, 15.28 lakh in 2016-17, 14.81 lakh in 2017-18, 14.98 lakh in 2018-19, 15.19 lakh in 2019-20, and 16.20 lakh in 2020-21. On Friday, the LG had sought a report from the chief secretary over a delay of two and a half years on the part of the vigilance department in acting on the Central Vigilance Commission’s inquiry report into the construction of additional classrooms in Delhi government schools. “I’m proud that we have built such wonderful government schools. BJP is sad that government schools were made so well,” deputy CM Manish Sisodia had tweeted in Hindi on Sunday. Sisodia had added, “They only know how to stop work, and we know how to build schools. No matter how many conspiracies they do, we will continue to build new schools, we will keep working hard to make India No.1. Now, the future officers of India will be prepared in Delhi government’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Armed Forces Preparatory School.”
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/delhi-lg-vk-saxena-writes-to-chief-secretary-examine-dip-in-enrolment-in-government-schools/articleshow/93863629.cms