NEW DELHI: Weeks after a foreign newspaper commended the AAP-led Delhi government’s educational approach, the leading organisation for children’s rights, NCPCR, has called attention to shortcomings such as the large number of vacant principal positions, the student to teacher ratio, and the dropout rate. The New York Times had commended the Delhi government’s educational system, calling it a lifeline for millions of families trying to break the cycle of poverty. The article was titled “Clean Toilets, Inspired Teachers: How India’s Capital Is Fixing Its Schools.” After making certain remarks about the Delhi government schools, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) published a report on its findings.
According to the NCPCR, Delhi has performed below par nationally in terms of learning outcomes. Regarding the children who are not in school, the NCPCR reported that in 2015–16, the transition rates from primary to upper primary (Class 5 to Class 6), as well as from elementary to secondary (Class 8 to Class 9), were 99.86% and 96.77%, respectively.
“However, in later years, the transition rate for both levels decreased. Even if the rate rose later in the year 2018–19, it is still lower than the transition rate in 2015–16, according to the statement.
That implies that not every child who completes primary school moves on to the upper primary level. For instance, in Delhi schools, Class 5 enrollment in 2016–17 was 39,9916 kids; in Class 6 enrollment in 2017–18, it was 37,0803 children, meaning nearly 30,000 students did not advance to the following class.
Additionally, Class 7 enrollment for the 2018–19 school year was 36,9484, which indicates that more students either repeated the class or dropped out, according to the NCPCR.
