Gujarat is experiencing a new and distinct trend in the education sector, with students switching from private to government school.
This trend has emerged as a result of the improved quality of education and facilities provided to students by government-run schools.
According to data obtained from the Primary Education Department of the Gujarat government, there were 33,822 and 31,382 students who switched from private to government school in Gujarat during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 school years, respectively. In the Banaskantha district, this number was 2,707 and 2,969 during the same time period.
Sanjay Parmar, Banaskantha district primary education officer told ANI, “We have had a considerably good increase in the shift from private to government schools. Due to the improving facilities in government schools, this year, six private schools have to be shut down.
On the other side, we have received 3,300 admissions of students who were earlier studying in private schools and it is expected that this number will reach at least 4,000.”
He added, “There are 2,352 government schools in the district where about 3.50 lakh students are studying and due to the Mission School of Excellence, the facilities in the schools have improved and hence more and more students are now enrolling in the government schools.”
Locals said that the quality of government schools is considerably improved in the last few years, in terms of education as well as facilities.
Kamlesh Thakkar, head teacher at Uttampura Green Primary School, Dantiwada in Banaskantha said, “Other than providing quality education through well-qualified staff, the government schools provide various scholarships to the students, mid-day meals as well as we have a couple of digital classrooms, science laboratory, library, swimming pool, RO Plant installed in the school through which we provide them clean drinking water, without charging a single penny.”
“This has tempted the parents to shift them from private to our school. Last year, we have had nine such students and this year as of now we have seven students who used to an earlier study in well-known private schools of Palanpur,” Thakkar further said.
There are currently 430 students enrolled in the school, with the majority of students coming from outside the village after being impressed with the educational quality and facilities offered. Furthermore, our teachers are well qualified, and some of them have even completed their Doctorate degrees and M.Phil, so the students who study here have a bright future, Thakkar added.
One student studying in the Uttampura school said, “The school campus is huge, and the quality of education is also very nice here. It is really nice that the future generation is getting is in good hands and there is no financial burden on parents is an added advantage.”