The number of Plus One seats in Ernakulam district would be just enough for aspirants who passed the Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) examination this year, according to the data available with the General Education Department.
The marginal increase of 20% sanctioned by the government this time may not be adequate, if there is an increase in the number of students shifting from the unaided sector to public schools in the new academic year. Previous trends showed that many students from the CBSE and other Central boards had switched to Plus One courses offered by the government and aided schools.
The intake capacity for Plus One courses in government and aided schools in the district is 26,750 based on the ratio of 50 students in a batch. Around 32,100 students in Ernakulam had cleared the SSLC examination held in March this year, according to the data.
There was a shortage of 320 seats based on the average calculation of enrolment in the last five years. It had stated that only 80.3% of the aspirants were seeking admission to Plus One courses in government and aided schools.
The government had decided to go for a 20% marginal increase in each batch this academic year. The hike was made following the spurt in the number of students who became eligible for higher studies. The number of students across the State who had won A plus in all subjects had also witnessed a record this time (around 1.21 lakh). In Ernakulam, around 11,600 students had won A Plus in all subjects.
The 20% marginal increase will result in an additional 5,350 seats in government and aided schools in the district. The department authorities have stated that the chances of a shortage in seats for Plus One in Ernakulam were remote. A clear picture will emerge after the first allotment of seats.
Parents and students had expressed concerns on whether they would get a seat nearby their homes. The surge in the number of students who won A1 Plus in all subjects had triggered doubts among aspirants on whether they would get a course and school of their choice.
