Govt to take action against 'Dummy' schools: What is a 'dummy' school?

The state government and the CBSE were ordered by the Delhi High Court on Monday to take action against "dummy" schools that purportedly allow students to sit examinations without attending classes

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The state government and the CBSE were ordered by the Delhi High Court on Monday to take action against "dummy" schools operating in the nation's capital. The bench requested an affidavit from the Delhi government and CBSE regarding the action taken against these schools, noting the advantage of Delhi domicile that these schools offer to students from other states.

 

A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela referred to it as a "fraud" and stated that such schools that only allow students to attend coaching classes and take exams based on "absolutely false information" could not be allowed to operate, according to news agency PTI. So what are ‘Dummy' schools?

What is a ‘Dummy’ School?

Dummy schools are those where regular attendance by students is not required. In this regard, coaching centers have partnerships with traditional schools to lessen the workload for students, giving them more time to concentrate on preparing for entrance exams. The idea of enrolling in dummy schools is particularly popular for the 2 main entrance exams in India, JEE and NEET.

What are the advantages of dummy school?

    • After coaching classes, students have time for self-study.

 

    • Avoid distractions of any kind that can affect your NEET/JEE preparation.

 

    • A huge time-saver for those preparing for JEE and NEET.

 

    • Students have enough time to focus on preparing for competitive exams because they are not required to attend school.

What are the disadvantages of dummy school?

    • The social lives of students are hampered.

 

    • Students become less productive when they focus solely on exams and neglect other tasks.

What was the PIL against the dummy school?

Petitioner Rajeev Aggarwal filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the eligibility requirements used by Delhi University and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University to award MBBS or BDS seats under the DSQ. 

 

He claimed that "dummy" schools gave students a "virtual platform" to show that they had moved to Delhi after passing the class 10 exam in order to somehow benefit from the Delhi state quota seats, which should otherwise be distributed among the bonafide residents of the National Capital Territory. In May, the case would be heard. 

Court order on ‘dummy’ school

The bench ordered, "It has been noticed that students do not attend classes in schools; rather spend time in coaching centers. However they are allowed to take examinations by education boards where they are required to put in requisite minimum attendance. We therefore direct the state government and CBSE to conduct inspection in this regard”. It is stated that dummy schools help students take tests without going to class.