Reverse migration: Rs 1.5L kids switch from private to govt schools

BENGALURU: The state is seeing a reverse trend ---of movement of students from private to government schools. The migration is mostly happening in rural areas where parents have moved back from towns to villages due to financial issues during the pandemic.But the authorities are yet to figure out how many have shifted totally. As per the estimates of private schools, the numbers may run up to 1.5 lakh in the state.

Principal Secretary Umashanker told TNIE that the number would be known by October 10 after the admission process is done. “The state, however, is equipped with its 53,000 government schools to cater to the new students. There are schools that are running at suboptimal strength at present,” he said.Govind Kunchapur, a private school administrator from Bilagi, Bagalkot, said a number of students in the town had moved from private to government schools because of midday meals, free uniforms, and the pandemic-induced lockdown hitting jobs.

Keeping a budget school alive, with fees of less than Rs 17,000 per year, is not getting any easier. “With no fees, payment of salaries for 12 teachers and five non-teaching staff members is difficult. As much as 25 per cent of last year’s fees is pending as we collect it even after the start of school. Now with this government order, we cannot even urge parents to pay the fees,” he said.

Riyaz S K from Jawahar School, Ballari, said, “There are creamy layer schools that have collected fees before exams. And parents have been silent because of good infrastructure. But budget schools are suffering. With no academic calendar, parents are not paying the nominal fees.”“It’s a short-term movement and roughly about 1.5 lakh students have migrated,” said Shashi Kumar, president, Associated Management of English Medium Schools in Karnataka.

The state is allowing government schools to hold classes, but denying private schools the opportunity, he said. Budget private school administrators fear that this migration will leave them with more arrears as there is word that a transfer certificate will not be required to move to a government school. The government has assured to draw the Transfer certificate even if the school decides not to give it.  Kumar said this amounts to cyber theft and they will lodge a complaint if the department resorts to taking their documents.