KOCHI: The lockdown has been extended till May 31, casting a shadow over the admissions to class I which began on Monday. The district education department officials say parents need not fret since the government has given the nod to carry on with the process, by strictly adhering to the COVID-19 protocols.“These are early days and as of now, only a few parents have walked in,” said T V Peter, principal, Government Girls High School, Ernakulam South. “However, all schools in the district have geared up to cater to the parents. The government has issued strict instructions regarding the process. We are ready with sanitisers and social distancing provisions are in place too. The parents are welcome, minus their children,” he said.
Online process
To help with the process, many schools in the city have started online sites where parents can submit application forms. An official from the education department said, “The government portal for online submission of application is under works and will be ready very soon. Once that gets launched, the parents will be able to submit all necessary documents without appearing in person at the school.” There are 487 lower primary schools in the district. “As per government instructions, no child will be denied admission to any government or aided schools in the district. So, the parents needn’t worry about their kids not making it. There is no need to dash to the schools in large numbers,” said the official.
According to the official, the district saw 5,259 students seeking admission to class I in government schools in 2019. “It was 10,466 in aided and 4,136 in unaided schools. We were expecting the numbers to increase this year, with the various facilities and teaching aids available at government schools,” the official said. Not just class I, but the number of students seeking admissions to Class V, VIII, IX and X were also high in 2019.
But, not everything is going to be smooth. According to a teacher with a prominent school, the number of students from outskirts opting for schools within the city limits, is likely to fall this year.“Parents might not want to send their kids far away due to the Covid-19 scare. Besides, the shift system too won’t go well with many,” the teacher added.
CBSE schools
Since the admission process in CBSE schools started by the fag end of 2019, there is little to worry.
According to Indira Rajan, secretary-general, National Council of CBSE Schools, the LKG admissions were over in December 2019. For class I, we wound up the process by March,” she said. Since all the schools have websites, they have been carrying on the admission process without hiccups. “There has been no slag in the number of students seeking admissions in the CBSE schools. However, the admission period differs in the schools in the rural and urban areas. For those in rural areas, the admissions are on till March every year, while in the urban areas, the admissions wind up by February,” she said.
hopes high
The district saw 5,259 students seek admission to class I in government schools in 2019. It was 10,466 in aided and 4,136 in unaided schools. Though the officials expect an increase in these numbers, Covid-19 has cast a shadow over these hopes.