New Delhi: Delhi Government is likely to start Special Classes For Talented student The examinations will be held in 15 schools after the mid-term examinations later this month.
Known as ‘Abhishikta’, these classes will be for students of Class VI and IX and are aimed at grooming students with high intelligence as determined through a rigorous screening process.
Consecration programAccording to officials, Inclusive Education Branch Under the Directorate of Education, there is a multi-stage selection process involved.
The first phase involves enrollment, followed by culture-fair testing, non-verbal interviews and IQ assessment. Officials said the criteria are specific. Students must have an IQ above 130 to qualify for the program.
The Times of India has learnt that around 7,000 students enrolled in classes VI and IX are in the fray for the programme. The selected students will attend special classes in 15 schools. Public Schools continuing to follow NCERT Syllabus,
They will have access to additional learning opportunities that will allow them to engage with more advanced material.
Therefore, critics of the program say, it would not be fair to give preference to students with higher IQs. This threatens to widen the gap between high-achieving students and the rest of the student body.
The dropout rate, already a concern in Delhi, could rise further if struggling students feel left out. “Careful attention has been paid to avoid this,” said Sanjay Saini, a Hindi teacher who was trained for the programme last month. “Abhishikta is aimed at nurturing the talents of high-performing students. Sometimes when you study in a competitive environment where everyone is better than you, it helps you overcome your obstacles.”
Teachers in areas such as Narela and Bawana, where they are often overburdened and students receive limited individual attention, however, say that the introduction of special programmes such as Abhishikta could put further pressure on the system by diverting attention and resources from students who need them most. They said 104 teachers have been selected from government schools for the programme and no new appointments have been made.
“It is important to focus on the most talented students, but the government needs to ensure that it does not ignore the large population of struggling students. There are students in our schools who do not have access to basic educational resources at home. Many of them live in crowded areas where studying is a challenge,” said a teacher at a government school in east Delhi.
In fact, Delhi’s public education system is one of the largest and most complex systems in the country, as it provides education to around 16 lakh students across about 1,100 schools.
Most of these students live in working-class neighborhoods, where socio-economic conditions are challenging.
Students in many of these areas face barriers to learning, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to supplementary educational resources.
In areas such as Mangolpuri and Sultanpuri, government schools are often the only option for students from families earning less than Rs 15,000 a month, as per the Economic Survey of Delhi 2022-2023.
The Delhi government runs about 21% of the schools in the capital, but government and government-aided schools account for about 37% of total enrolment.
Some teachers argued that the government should prioritize adding more teachers and classrooms rather than running special programs for high performers.
But Maanvi Batra, special education teacher Those who took the training had a different opinion. They claimed that the training opened doors to new aspects of teaching for them and helped them understand the concept of talent.
“The aim of the programme is to identify and promote talented students but no one will be left out. We are focusing on talented students because if their talent is not nurtured, there is a high possibility that they will start feeling inferior,” Batra said.
Nahar Singh, Joint Director, State Council of Educational Research and TrainingThe organisation that trained the 104 teachers told The Times of India that just because the programme was for bright students, it should not be construed as leaving other students behind.
He said, “Teachers have been trained to recognise talents among students and nurture them. But this will be done without making other students feel neglected.”
Ramchandra Shingare, additional director of education, inclusive education wing, did not respond to TOI’s queries. No new schools are being built for the programme and the classes will run in existing schools.
As stated by IEB supervisor Ajay Singh, no signs will be placed in special classes to give selected students a higher rank than others.
“The selected students will take the same exams, mingle with the same students and actively participate in their respective schools. Even the 104 teachers will teach not only them but also other students of the institute,” he clarified.
