ID cards not must for admission to govt schools in Gurgaon now

Gurgaon: The directorate of school education has issued new guidelines that allow admission without mandatory documents to increase student enrolment in govt schools across the district. The directive was sent to all district education officers (DEOs), instructing schools not to deny admissions without documents.

According to the new order, if a student approaches a govt school for admission, they must be admitted immediately. Parents will be given sufficient time to submit any missing documents later. Until the required documents are provided, student enrolment will be recorded in offline registers. Schools have been instructed to enter student data in the "offline column" of the MIS (Management Information System) portal. Once the documents are submitted, the online admission process can be completed.

According to a recent survey conducted by SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training), 48 schools across the district reported lower-than-expected new admissions. The survey identified 12 schools in each block. To address this, the education department launched a special enrolment drive with a target to increase admissions by 10% in these schools. Several schools reported only one or two new admissions since April, raising concerns about their long-term viability.

Many govt schools are severely understaffed. District president of Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh Haryana, Ashok Prajapati, said, "Teachers are also tasked with duties such as admissions, mid-day meals, online work, and administrative work, leaving little time for classroom instruction."