BHUBANESWAR: A State Government direction for not issuing transfer certificates to Class VII students has left hundreds of non-Government aided High schools in a lurch.
Although the Government has clubbed Class VIII in Upper Primary (UP) category schools, it does not apply to non-Government aided high schools which will have to run in the previous structure of Class VIII to X.
As a result, a discrepancy has arisen in the de-linking process and most non-Government aided schools are apprehensive of not getting required number of students for Class VIII. The reason: Class VII students cannot get transfer certificates anymore.
Last year, the State Government decided to de-link Class VIII from all High schools and asked the UP schools to open the class from this academic session. Accordingly, the UP schools were asked to stop granting transfer certificates.
But a fresh letter from School and Mass Education Department on April 3 directing the Director of Secondary Education not to effect de-linking of Class VIII from non-Government aided High schools on the plea of incomplete mapping of data of students has left everyone confused.
A teacher said the decision to stop issuing transfer certificate may not have any impact on Government-run High schools but the private and aided schools, where there will be no de-linking, will be affected.
‘’Most of the panchayats in the State have private High schools which depend on UP schools in their respective areas for students. How will they get students in Class VIII if these schools do not issue transfer certificates?’’ he wondered.
On November 7 last year, Director of Elementary Education had directed all district and block education officers not to grant any transfer certificate of Class VII students and ensure that Class VIII is opened in all UP schools.
Later, the Director of Secondary Education issued a direction to all district education officers to shift Class VIII from Secondary schools to UP schools and stop admission in Class VIII in High schools from this session citing that Class VIII should be a part of elementary education.
Teachers said the Government should have instead gone for de-linking only in Government-run schools and allow UP schools to issue transfer certificates till the mapping of students’ data is completed.
Contacted, Director of Elementary Education Chudamani Seth said the process for mapping data is on and would be completed shortly. ‘’Efforts are being taken for smooth functioning of both elementary and secondary schools as per the instruction of Ministry of HRD on Right to Education norm,’’ he added.
The State has 18,565 Government and Project UP schools, 5,046 Government High schools besides 1,606 private UP schools and 3,222 private High schools.