Admission of Children in Elementary Classes for Session, 2024

GOVERNMENT OF WEST BENGAL
SCHOOL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION BRANCH
BIKASH BHAWAN, 5TH FLOOR, SALT LAKE
KOLKATA – 700 091

No. 552-SED-13037/195/2022-ELEMN Sec. Dated: 21.11.2023

MEMORANDUM

The following methodology shall be followed for admission of children in elementary classes including Pre-Primary Class in all Government/ Government Sponsored/ Aided Primary Upper Primary/ High/ Higher Secondary schools including SSKs/ MSKs for the academic session 2024.

i. As per provision of the RTE Act, 2009, no child or his/her parents or guardian will be subjected to any kind of screening procedure. All children from 6-14 years (6-18 years for children with special needs) shall be admitted to the appropriate classes according to their age in neighbourhood schools and elementary education including pre-primary education shall be provided to them free of cost.

ii. It has been decided that admission in elementary classes including pre-primary class shall be done through draw of lots if number of candidates seeking admission to a class is more than the number of seats available for admission.

Mode of conducting draw of lots shall he as follows:

(A) At first a general draw of lots from amongst all applicants praying for admission irrespective of category [viz. SC/ ST/ OBC(A)/ OBC(B)/ EWSs etc.] is to be done to select the unreserved candidates.

(B) Thereafter, a series of draw of lots from the left over applications are to be arranged category-wise to fill up the reserved seats.

Category-wise percentages of reserved seats are as below:

Scheduled Caste-22%, Scheduled Tribe-6%, OBC (A)-10%, OBC (B)-7%, Children with Special Need -3% and Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) – 10%.

It may be mentioned here that if seats reserved for SC remain unfilled by SC candidates, they may be filled up by ST candidates and vice versa. However, after completion of the aforesaid exercise if more seats are available which could not be filled up due to non-availability of SC/ST candidates, they should be taken in the unreserved poo. If the seats meant for OBC(A) and OBC(B) candidates could not be filled up due to non-availability of OBC(A) and OBC(B) candidates, they will also be taken in the unreserved pool. In case of non-availability of EWS candidates the above procedure shall be followed mutatis mutandis. Such unreserved seats shall be filled up by the candidates as per norms, For this, a waiting list may be maintained in the first draw of lots as mentioned at para (ii) and (A) above.

iii) Children seeking admission for pre-primary class shall be 5 years of age or above and below 6 years as on 01.01.2024. All children of the age of 6-14 years shall be admitted to the appropriate classes according to their age.

Children who have completed any class at a lesser age as per prevalent rule in force at the material point of time in any school may be allowed to proceed to the next class.

The age appropriate classes would be as follows (Age will be calculated as on 01.01.2024)

a. For Class I, the age of 6 years and above but less than 7 years of age.
b. I or C lass II, the age of 7 years and above but less than 8 years of age.
c. For C lass III, the age of 8 years and above but less than 9 years of age.
d. For C lass IV, the age of 9 years and above but less than 10 years of age.
e. For C lass V, the age of 10 years and above but less than 11 years of age.
f. For Class VI, the age of 11 years and above but less than 12 years of age.
g. For C lass VII, the age of 12 years and above but less than 13 years of age.
h. For class VIII, the age of 13 years and above but less than 14 years of age.

No student should be forced to drop out of education through the admission process. Moreover, out of school children are to be admitted for universalization of elementary education.

The Children with Special Needs shall be admitted in such a way that they may complete elementary education within 18 years of age.

In appropriate cases for calculation of age for admission of under aged children, relaxation by four months may be given by the Head of Institutions depending on the merit of the case.

The District Education Officers, SSM, would facilitate admission of out of school children in schools and all schools should co-operate. Any school which wishes to increase the number of seats may send proposal to the Commissioner of School Education, West Bengal, through concerned District Inspector of Schools (Primary Education/ Secondary Education).

(iv) In case a primary school and Upper Primary/ High/ Higher Secondary School running in the same building/premises, class-IV/ V students of Primary School shall automatically be admitted to class-V/VI of the Upper Primary/ High/ Higher Secondary School as the case may be. No draw of lots is required to be done in case of admission of such children. After admission of all such interested candidates in Class-V/ VI the rest seats shall be filled up through the process of draw of lots.

v) If, however, any parent/ guardian fails to get his/her ward admitted to any school through the process of draw of lots, he/she may apply to the District Inspector of Schools (PE)/ District Inspector of Schools (SE) as the case may be for admission of his/her ward in any of the neighbourhood schools. District Inspector of Schools (PE)/ District Inspector of Schools (SE) will arrange for admission of such children in any of the neighbourhood schools through concerned Sub-Inspector of Schools.

vi) Sub-Inspector of Schools shall ensure admission of all such students in any of the neighbourhood schools and send compliance report to the District inspector of Schools (PE/SE) within 31st January, 2024.

This may be communicated to all concerned for strict compliance.

Additional Secretary
School Education Department

No. 552-SED dated 21.11.2023, Source