Student enrolment for 2021-22 in government schools has risen substantially and reduced drastically in government-aided and private schools in the district, in sync with the trend elsewhere in the State, due to what officials describe as the impact of the pandemic.
From classes I to XII, the number has increased by 7,233 in government schools as on July 15, 2021. This year, there are 1,56,079 students from classes I to XII in government schools compared to 1,48,846 last year.
The decline in admissions in government-aided schools by 12,668 seats has been attributed by parents to the levy of extra fee by the managements. Compared to a student strength of 1,29,546 last year, the number has come down to 1,16,878 this time.
The COVID impact has reflected more intensively in private schools. The enrolment has gone down by 13,072 seats. Compared to 1,84,858 students last year, the number has declined to 1,71,786 this time, as per the data compiled by the School Education Department.
Altogether, 4,44,362 students are on rolls. They constitute 1,56,001 students in government schools (departments: school education, tribal welfare, municipal, differently abled welfare, corporation, and Adi Dravida welfare), 1,16,575 students in government-aided schools (fully-aided and partially-aided), and 1,71,786 in schools categorised under ‘other’ (Borstal school under Social Welfare Department, defence department, Kendriya Vidyayala, matriculation school, mursery and pPrimary school, railway school, unaided private school other than State board school, and unaided private school under State common board).
School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Friday symbolically enrolled a newly-admitted student at the Government High School at Vasantham Nagar in Lalgudi.
Collector S. Sivarasu, Lalgudi MLA A. Soundarapandiyan, Chief Educational Officer Arivazhagan and other senior officials accompanied the minister.