New Delhi, Dec 11 : In the Rajya Sabha, a sharp spotlight was cast on Delhiâ??s education system as MP Swati Maliwal raised concerns over the alarming number of Class 9 students failing in government schools.

Citing figures provided by the Ministry of Education, Maliwal questioned whether the Delhi governmentâ??s policy of diverting failed students to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was contributing to high dropout rates and artificially inflating school performance statistics.

Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, in a written reply, confirmed that more than 3.20 lakh students had failed in Class 9 across Delhi government schools over the past five years.

Year-wise data reveals a troubling trend; 31,541 students failed in 2020â??21, 28,548 in 2021â??22, a sharp rise to 88,421 in 2022â??23, peaking at 1,01,344 in 2023â??24, before dipping slightly to 70,296 in 2024â??25. The cumulative figure stands at 3,20,150.

Alongside these failures, over 71,000 students were admitted to NIOS during the same period. The breakdown shows 11,322 admissions in 2020â??21, 10,598 in 2021â??22, 29,436 in 2022â??23, 7,794 in 2023â??24, and 11,974 in 2024â??25.

Maliwal argued that this practice, while ostensibly aimed at offering students a second chance, risks pushing many out of the mainstream education system and raises questions of accountability.

Responding to these concerns, Chaudhary emphasised that education is a concurrent subject, with states and Union Territories managing the majority of schools. He defended the role of NIOS, stating that one of its key objectives is to prevent repeated failures from leading to permanent dropouts.

According to him, students who clear Class 10 through NIOS are often reintegrated into formal schooling, thereby continuing their education. However, Maliwalâ??s pointed queriesâ??whether this policy is being misused to polish school results, and what corrective steps are being takenâ??underscore a larger debate about systemic reforms.

The figures reveal not just a statistical crisis but a human one, with thousands of young learners struggling at a critical stage in their education.

As the numbers mount, the challenge for policymakers lies in balancing remedial opportunities with accountability, ensuring that the promise of education does not slip away for Delhiâ??s students.

/IANS