Pandemic delays govt scheme seeking Dalit students’ admission to elite schools

Mysuru: As part of its measures to improve the capabilities of students from Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) communities, the social welfare department in Karnataka had rolled out an initiative to help students from the underprivileged sections to get admission to elite schools after completing class V. This was meant to supplement the central government’s Right to Education (RTE) Act. Under the initiative, the government will take on all expenses of the students including fees in the elite unaided private schools.
As many as 982 students from various SC communities were admitted to various prestigious schools to class VI in the academic year 2019-20. However, this year till now only one student is admitted. This single admission has been done in Mysuru. The uncertainty surrounding reopening of schools owing to the Covid-19 crisis has affected admission of students under this scheme.
Parents pointed out that the admission process to prestigious schools kicked off in April each year. However, they have received no such intimation this year. Joint director of the social welfare department, Mysuru N Muniraju maintained they were accepting applications from parents under the initiative, but cited the pandemic for the delay in taking the process forward this year.
Data from the Prestigious Schools Information Management System shows that the social welfare department spent more than 21.6 crore to fund the education of nearly 4,000 students under the initiative in the academic year 2019-20. In Mysuru district, 149 students benefitted under the initiative last year.
This is a scheme that parents particularly find attractive since their kids get a chance-of-a-lifetime to study in some of the best schools in their respective districts. “These are schools that are not in the RTE quota. But this year, most of these schools have already completed admission to class VI, which means that SC/ST students will be denied the chance to get into these institutions this year. Many of these schools have not only started online classes but even conducted tests. The social welfare department must share information related to the admission process at least now,” said Sadananda K, a resident of Jayanagar in Mysuru.