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Govt. pushes poor students' case with public schools

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI DEC. 27. With the objective of ensuring proper representation of students from the poor sections of society in public schools and get a positive feedback on what needs to be done to improve the education system in the Capital, the Delhi Government held a meeting with the principals of public schools in the Capital over the week-end. It was the first such interaction between the heads of such schools and the new State Education Minister, Arvinder Singh Lovely.

Mr. Lovely impressed upon them the need to induct more children from the poor sections of society in public schools against the quota that has been outlined for them through the Delhi Government. He said some of the schools had already taken the initiative in this regard and urged all others to follow suit. The Education Minister said it was important that such students get enrolled in public schools and go on to become responsive and respectable citizens of the country. At the time of allotment of land to public schools at a very nominal price, it was decided that they would leave some quota of seats in the school for such needy and poor students. However, this quota had not been filled in a majority of the schools during the past few years.

Stating that the Sheila Dikshit Government's priority in this term was to reform the education system and make it progressive and reformist, Mr. Lovely said he had been directed by the Chief Minister to seek a feedback from public schools in this regard. He urged the school managements and principals to give their views and suggestions so that they could be incorporated whenever reforms in the Education Act are undertaken.

He said the Government would also welcome cooperation from public schools for improving the functioning of the government-run and aided schools and enable the children studying in these schools to come at par with the students of public schools.

Mr. Lovely said the Chief Minister was very clear that the Government would not interfere in the functioning of public schools as long as they follow the law of the land.

The Minister indicated that Ms. Dikshit had already given the green signal for making amendments in the Act and soon a committee would be formed to carry out this task. The emphasis, he said, would be on quality education. There was a need to expose these students to the outside world and involve them in other extra-curricular activities rather than spending all the time inside the school.

The Principal of Delhi Public School, Rohini, Rita Sen, described the interaction as very productive and useful. "It provided an opportunity to the principals to convey their point of view on various issues to the Directorate of Education and the Government," she said, adding that regular interactions like this would help in a better understanding between the Government and the public schools.

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