THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The number of students enrolled in Class I in government and aided schools has dropped to 2.34 lakh this year compared to 2.50 lakh the previous year. However, the overall number of students enrolled in Classes II to X in government and aided schools rose by 40,906 from the previous year to settle at 29.27 lakh. General Education Minister V Sivankutty announced the enrolment figures here on Tuesday based on the sixth working day statistics collected from schools.
The minister attributed the drop of 16,510 students in Class I enrolment in government and aided schools to the decline in birth rate by 2.89% during the 2010-2020 period. “Students mostly born in 2020 have been admitted to Class I this year. The birth rate in 2020 was 12.77% which is a drop of 2.89% when compared to the birth rate of 15.75% recorded in 2010,” Sivankutty said.
Notably, the enrolment in Class I in unaided schools remained mostly stable at 47,863 with an increase of just one student this year compared to the previous year’s figure of 47,862. Asked about the unaided enrolment figures remaining unaffected despite the dip in birth rate, Sivankutty evaded a comparison and said those who prefer unaided schools and those who opt for government and aided schools were from two distinct sections of society.
Sivankutty said Higher Secondary Plus-I classes will begin on Wednesday with 3.4 lakh students who have secured admission in the three main rounds of seat allotment. He said the government had made prior arrangements to ensure a sufficient number of seats this year taking into account the protests over alleged seat shortage in the previous years.
“When the admissions draw to a close this year, there will be a large number of vacant seats in the state, including in Malappuram district,” he said. The minister said the general education department will conduct a thorough study on the Plus-I seat vacancy scenario this year and take a decision on what needs to be done with the seats that have remained permanently vacant over the years.
Sivankutty said the menu of the noon-meal scheme in schools has been thoroughly revised based on the recommendations of an expert committee.