Pre-primary classes: 2 years on, government schools in Punjab record increase in enrolment

Government schools across the state have registered an increase in the enrolment of students ever since pre-primary classes (nursery and LKG) were introduced two years ago.

As per sources, 2.25 lakh students aged between 3 and 5 years, were enrolled in pre-primary classes in government schools in the past two years across the state. In the past one year, around 6,300 new students have taken admission in these classes, while around 4,617 new students have been added in primary classes (1 to 5) in Ludhiana district. 

Teachers say the primary schools, especially those with lower enrolment earlier, have been benefited the most with the beginning of pre-primary classes in government schools.

The children, aged 3-5 years, learn manners, value education, rhymes and get familiar with the school environment. Earlier, the students were enrolled in Class 1 directly in these schools due to which they would take a lot of time to adjust in the new environment. “This move helped many schools as when a child gets promoted to Class 1, he/she becomes more comfortable attending the classes and performs better,” the teachers said.

REGULAR ATTENDANCE  

Several teachers said the new entrants of the two pre-primary classes are regular in attending their classes. “All the schools receive daily schedule for pre-primary classes and activities are conducted for the students as per the same,” they said. 

In Ludhiana, 14,100 students were studying in pre-primary classes in 2018 while the number rose to around 20,400 in 2019. In Classes 1 to 5, 84,583 students were enrolled in 2018, while the count went up to 89,200 in 2019. 

For instance, at Government Primary School, Giaspura, 283 students were studying in pre-primary classes last year and 124 new students have been added this year. In primary classes, the school had 1,630 children enrolled in Classes 1 to 5 last year , while around 350 new students have been registered in these classes this year. 

In Government Primary School, Machhiwara-2, 100 new students have been enrolled in this year’s new academic session. The school had around 350 students studying from pre-primary to Class 5 earlier. 

Director public instructions (DPI, elementary) Inderjit Singh said, “The especially designed curriculum, sequential cards, flashcards, story cards, storybooks and posters for pre-primary classes have proved beneficial and made the parents admit in their children in government schools. Once the child is admitted in pre-primary classes, then majority of the parents make them continue in the same school till Class 12.”