Government must use situation to attract more students to state-run schools, say experts

HUBBALLI: The decline in the number of admissions at government schools has often been a source of considerable chagrin among officials in the education department. However, experts in the field are estimating a spike in the number of admissions this year considering the financial constraints brought about by Covid-19 pandemic. What is more, the government’s push for introducing English as the medium of instruction in more schools is expected to encourage more parents to send their children to state-run institutions.
Development educationist and mentor of School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) Niranjanadhya VP, pointed out that several lower middle-class families would not be in a position to bear the cost of their wards’ education in private institutions following the downturn in the economy. He said that children of such families were likely to be admitted to government schools. "The government must launch a campaign to draw more students to its schools. It has been observed that many children, owing to difficulties in payment of fees, may not be given admission at private schools. The government must convince parents to send their children to their schools, which will ease their financial burden. In the past few years, many government schools have been given a facelift, and the facilities are on a par with private institutions. A survey that we conducted in Ramanagara district indicated that nearly 2,600 students returned to government schools for the 2018-19 academic year," said Niranjanadhya, adding that a concerted campaign by the government involving teachers could result in the number of admissions increasing by 10 to 15% this academic year.
Data from the department of public instruction indicates that, in the past decade, the ratio of the number of children being admitted to government schools to those joining private institutions has been disproportionately leaning in favour of the latter.
Former education minister and JD(S) MLC Basavaraj Horatti also expressed hopes of the number of admissions spiking in government schools. "Since many migrant workers have returned to the villages, they are likely to send their kids to government schools. The Karnataka government must take a leaf out of what was done in Delhi, wherein the state-run schools were refurbished to such an extent as to leave very little to choose between them and the private institutions," said the former minister.
Vice-president of the All India Teachers’ Federation Basavaraj Gurikar, however, begged to differ. Although he admitted to the time being ripe for the state government to adopt measures to boost enrolment in its schools, Gurikar was sceptical of the mindset among parents in urban areas altering greatly. "Parents in villages may send their kids to government schools, but I think, in urban areas, private institutions will remain their first choice," he added.
Neither primary and secondary education minister S Suresh Kumar nor commissioner of the department of public instruction KG Jagadeesha were available for comments.