Delhi’s Schools of Specialised Excellence very popular, 92,000 applications for 4,400 seats: Edu minister Atishi

Atishi was speaking at the inauguration of Dr B R Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence at Rana Pratap Bagh near Model Town, which earlier housed the government’s senior secondary school. The school will now focus on the humanities stream.

“Today, people in Delhi prefer sending their children to government schools rather than private schools. For the 4,400 seats open for admission in various SOSEs, 92,000 applications were received,” she said.

These schools are affiliated to the newly-established Delhi Board of School Education and admit students starting class IX based on an entrance test.

The Rana Pratap Bagh SOSE has huge, airy classrooms, a library, a multipurpose hall, various labs for biology, physics, geography. The school is expected to hold moot courts for student participation.

The schools, which focus on streams such as science and technology, humanities, sports, and performing arts, were started by the Delhi government in 2021.

Atishi said that more such schools will start soon.

“There was little recognition of government schools for the past few years in our country. If someone had money, they sent their children to private schools where they received a high standard of education and got jobs. The situation was different for poor people, who cannot afford this. Sending their children to government schools was the only option, where half of them would drop out and end up working in shops,” she said.

Education director Himanshu Gupta, additional director Nandini Maharaj, and area MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi were also present for the inauguration.

– Eunisia is an intern with The Indian Express, Delhi