Shimla: In a significant move to protect the academic interests of students migrating to Himachal Pradesh from other states, the Directorate of Education has directed all government and private schools not to deny admission or enroll students in lower classes on the pretext of a ‘learning gap’.
Under the new directions, schools across the state will be required to recognise School Leaving Certificates (SLCs) issued by educational institutions in other states and grant admission to students in the classes mentioned in those certificates. Schools will no longer be permitted to arbitrarily downgrade students to lower grades despite their having successfully completed the corresponding academic levels elsewhere.
The Directorate issued these instructions after receiving complaints that students shifting to Himachal Pradesh for education were facing difficulties in securing admission. It came to light that some schools were refusing to accept School Leaving Certificates issued by institutions outside the state, while others were admitting students to classes lower than those they had previously attended.
In several cases, schools reportedly cited a ‘learning gap’ or differences in academic standards to justify such decisions. As a result, students were being forced to repeat lower classes, disrupting their academic progress and causing unnecessary difficulties for them and their families.
Taking serious note of the issue, the Directorate has instructed all Deputy Directors of Education to communicate the directions to the heads of government and private schools in their respective districts and ensure strict compliance.
The Directorate has clarified that a duly issued School Leaving Certificate cannot be disregarded by schools while granting admission. Students must be admitted to the appropriate class corresponding to their previous academic record, as reflected in the certificate.
The department has also clarified the procedure for cases where students are unable to produce an SLC at the time of admission. Under the provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, such children can be admitted to an appropriate class based on their age.
