Marathi schools in changing Peths see fewer students

PUNE: Well-known Marathi medium schools in the core areas of Pune are facing a challenge getting students to enrol.

For decades, famous schools like Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya, Agarkar High School, PV Kanyashala, Shinde High School, Shivaji Maratha High School had to deal with long queues of parents waiting overnight for admissions. But they have been struggling with enrolments since 2018-19, a recent Pune zilla parishad report has said.
All these schools are more than five decades old. Experts said privatisation of education, inclination towards English medium schools and families moving out from the core city areas to the suburbs have culminated in this situation.
Education officer of the Pune zilla parishad, Ganpat More, said they are compiling the exact number of decline in each of the schools in Pune district. “The process of compilation is on but there is roughly about 10% decrease in these traditional Marathi medium schools in the city in terms of student enrolment," he said.
More said that NMV, Agarkar High School, P V Kanyashala, Alegaonkar Vidyalaya, G M Irani Kanyashala, Ashok Vidyalaya, Bapusaheb Pawar Kanyashala, Atre Day School, L R Shinde High School, Shree Shivaji Maratha High School, Camp Education society are located in the Peth areas of the city.
“Apart from parents wanting to send their children to English medium schools, there is also a possibility that families have become nuclear and have moved away from these Peth areas and settled in the suburbs. So naturally, the schools in the Peth areas will suffer,” More added.
Shikshan Prasarak Mandali’s president Nandu Phadke said that the decline in enrolment clearly shows the inclination of parents for English medium schools. The organisation runs NMV.
“The poor enrolment in Marathi medium schools is a big worry. Something needs to be done about it. I don't have an exact idea about the drop in enrolment this year," he added.
Educationist Shriram Ghanekar and former teacher said the fall in enrolment is also a sign of failure of Marathi medium schools to compete with English medium or private schools. “They are better equipped in terms of technology and facilities as against the Marathi medium schools. It's a natural in the current circumstances."