The number of students in Delhi government schools in the current academic year has decreased by more than 30,000 as compared to the previous session, according to an RTI reply.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of students in government schools in the 2022–23 academic session was 17,89,385, while this academic year it decreased to 17,58,986, which is 30,399 less than the previous session.
The Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi, has provided this information in response to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
There are 1,050 Delhi government schools and 37 ‘Dr BR Ambedkar Schools of Specialised Excellence’ in the national capital.
According to the information received from the DoE, there has been a decline in the number of children in government schools in all districts and areas except north-west A and central Delhi.
The number of students in government schools located in north-west A in 2023–24 will be 1,87,596, while in 2022-23 it was 1,81,450. Similarly, the number of students in central Delhi’s government schools increased to 28,922 in the current academic year from 27,580 in 2022–23.
An official of the DoE, seeking anonymity, said, “There were more admissions in government schools in Delhi during the pandemic. But as the situation became normal, some students again moved to private schools.”
He said that the “failure” of some students in exams is also a reason behind the decline in their numbers.
In the last four years, the number of students in government schools in the academic session 2019–20 was 15,05,525, which increased during the pandemic period to 16,28,744 in 2020–21, 17,68,911 in 2021–22, and 17,89,385 in 2022–23, the RTI response stated.
