Increase in Class 1 student enrolment

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For first time in many years, schools following the State syllabus have registered an increase in Class 1 enrolment, with the unaided sector getting the major share, but the total number of students from Class 1 to 10 fell by 27,805. Sources said the number of students from standard I to 10 has been dropping by around 25,000 to 50,000 each year since 2009.

Unaided schools recorded an increase by 52,061 from 352,928 last year to 404,989 this academic year in Class 1 to Class 10.  This has been revealed in preliminary statistics of the customary sixth day verification of Director of Public Instruction (DPI). DPI sources said the number of students enrolled in class one had been steadily falling by nearly 8,000 to 10,000 each year in the last five years. However, this year the trend reversed with an increase by 9,571 students.

In Class One, 305, 667 students joined the State syllabus schools as against last year’s 296,096. These include an increase of 702 in government schools, from 90,529 last year to 91,231 now. The increase in unaided schools in first standard enrolment was nearly 10,608. The total number of students this year is 52,061 as against 41,453 last year. However, aided schools reported a drop in the first standard- decrease by 1,739 students from 164,114 to 162,375. The total strength in government, aided, and unaided schools together has dropped by 27,805, with the student population now put at 3, 772,721 against last year’s 3, 800,526.

This meant a drop of 22,543 in government schools which had 1, 177, 230 students last year. It decreased to 1,154,687. Aided schools reported a drop by 57,323 students, from 2, 70,368 to 2, 213, 045.