Government school students seeking readmission to regular classes face fee hurdle

Many Delhi government school students who failed in classes 9 and 10 and were sent to the National Institution of Open Schooling (NIOS) and have enrolled again in regular schools in class 11 are facing a financial roadblock. The students have been asked to submit ₹5,000 as processing fee, citing a recent circular issued by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The HT had reported last month that the CBSE has issued new guidelines for admission in classes 9 and 11. Under these new guidelines, the board has allowed admissions in these classes under 11 categories, including “change of board” and the CBSE will regulate all admission requests in these classes after August 15 of every academic year. The guidelines further state that students from other education boards, seeking admission in CBSE-affiliated schools, will have to deposit ₹5,000 processing fee with their application.

In Delhi, in the absence of any state education board, all government schools are affiliated to the CBSE. But in case of students who were readmitted to Delhi government schools from the open school, the education board changed when they were first shifted to the NIOS.

Earlier this year, the department of education had informed the Delhi High Court that, last year, around 30,000 students who had failed classes 9 and 12 were shifted to open schools.

A group of students who were re-admitted had approached to the CBSE’s regional office in Patparganj and filed a request of concession in the processing fee with the authority. In their letter, dated July 29, 2019, the students said, “We were shifted to NIOS from a government school after failing in class 10 in one subject. We cleared the exam and shifted back to regular schools. After one month of taking admission we are informed that we have to submit ₹5,000 to the CBSE as processing fee. Our family incomes are low and we will not be able to pay the amount. Kindly, provide us some concession.”

Naveen Singh, 13, who has enrolled in class 11 in a government boys’ senior secondary school in Karol Bagh said he has been informed by his school that he has to deposit ₹5,000. “I was not allowed to continue regular schooling after failing in class 10. And, now when I have managed to get back, I am being asked to pay ₹5,000. The monthly income of my family is ₹10,000,” he said.

Head of School at Sarvodaya Vidyalaya, Rohini, Awadesh Kar Jha said that their school also has a handful of these cases. “Most of these students are from economically challenged families. It’s absolutely unnecessary to charge this much from them,” he said.

Despite several attempts, CBSE’s controller examinations Sanyam Bhardwaj did not respond to calls and texts for comment on the matter.

A CBSE official not authorised to speak with the media said, “The board might allow such students to take admission without paying the processing fee up to August 15, every year. But, the board is yet to take a call on it.”

ENDS

First Published: Aug 07, 2019 21:26 IST