The Delhi Cabinet has decided to introduce a new type of school called 'School of Excellence' in the national Capital. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. At present, there are three categories of government-run schools in the Capital — Rajkiya Vidyalaya, Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, and Sarvodaya Vidyalaya.
DNA, on May 19, had reported about the government's plan to start these 'School of Excellence' in the city. The Capital, so far, has 1,050 Hindi-medium government schools. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said these schools would impart education through English language and the admission process for nursery to class five and Class nine and 11 would start from next year.
"For admission to 'Schools of Excellence', the neighbourhood criteria will be followed. The number of seats in these schools would be limited. Twenty-five students will be admitted to each section of nursery to class five. However, there will be written tests for admission in Class nine and Class 11," he said.
The new buildings for the 'School of Excellence' are ready in Rohini, Khichdipur, Kalkaji, Madanpur Khadar, and Dwarka.
These English medium schools will have 25 students in primary classes (1-6) and 40 in senior classes (6-12). The government has decided to keep the size of the classes small so that every student can get exclusive attention from the teachers.
According to the officials, while the government schools, at present, do have some English-medium sections, they do not qualify as English-medium schools. The officials added that the infrastructure is ready and the schools are well-furnished to equip the students to learn.
Around 40-50 teachers will be hired per school. The education department will first select teachers from the existing staff and hire a few guest teachers on a contractual basis.
