Shimla:
The Himachal Pradesh Education Department continues to battle teething troubles arising from the rapid expansion of its schools affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education, with fresh issues surfacing over sections and student enrolment.
An official order issued by the department has flagged irregularities in the creation of sections and enrolment beyond approved limits in several CBSE-affiliated government schools across the state. The department has made it clear that schools cannot arbitrarily increase sections or admit students in excess of the strength sanctioned by CBSE and the state government.
According to the order, many schools have been admitting students without prior approval, citing public demand and local pressure. However, the department has warned that such practices violate CBSE affiliation norms and strain existing infrastructure, teachers, and academic resources.
The Education Department has now directed all concerned school heads to strictly adhere to sanctioned enrolment and section limits. Any deviation, it said, will invite responsibility on the part of the institution head and could lead to disciplinary action.
Officials acknowledged that the transition of several government schools to the CBSE pattern has brought operational challenges, including mismatch between student demand and available facilities. “These are teething issues, but rules cannot be bent,” the order underlined, stressing the need to balance access to CBSE education with quality and compliance.
The department has also asked district education officers to closely monitor enrolment trends and submit detailed reports, ensuring that future proposals for additional sections are routed through proper channels well in advance.
The latest directive reflects the ongoing struggle of the Himachal Pradesh Education Department to streamline its CBSE expansion while maintaining regulatory discipline, even as demand for CBSE-pattern schooling continues to rise across the hill state.
