‘Delhi’s virtual school anti-student’

Education not just about hoarding degrees but about holistic development of the child: AIDSO

Even as the newly launched Delhi Model Virtual School (DMVS) received 800 applications and is likely to extend the last date to apply, a students’ body termed it “anti-student” and said it would “destroy the foundation” of the education ecosystem.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Wednesday launched the DMVS for Classes IX to XII, and claimed that it was “India’s first such platform” where students from across the country will be eligible for admission.

According to the All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), however, online classes could never be a “wholesome substitute” for classroom learning.

Following the announcement, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) too had contended that the first virtual school had already been launched in the country by the Centre in 2021.

According to a city government official, around 800 applications had been received till Friday after the process began on Wednesday. The last date for receiving applications, the official added, was September 6, however, it was likely to be extended. The new session was likely to start in October. The school will not charge any fee and will have an in-built attendance tracking system in the online platform used for classes.

The government was, in the meantime, reaching out to students across the country through social media to share information about the school which is affiliated to the Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE).

The AIDSO, however, contended in a statement that education was not just about “cramming facts” and “hoarding degrees” but about the holistic development of the child.