It’s good, it’s free: Kids rush to govt schools in Chennai post pandemic
Representative Image. Students from private schools are rushing in droves to English-medium government primary schools on the city outskirts. Government primary and middle schools across the state have added more than four lakh students in the past couple of years, and the migration is happening predominantly in semi-urban areas.
Most of them are children of labourers, drivers, electricians, private company employees, daily wagers and shop owners who could not pay the fees in private schools because of the lockdown. Semi-urban educational blocks like Mount, Kattankolathur and Villivakkam have registered more than 100% increase in admissions in 2021 over 2019. The schools now conduct classes on alternate days.
Valli, a parent from Mannivakkam, said her husband, a truck driver, was out of work and they couldn’t pay the Rs 64,000 annual fees for her two children. We decided to shift them to a government school and we are happy with the decision,” she said.
Jancy Rani D, headmistress of Panchayat Union Primary School (PUPS) in Mannivakkam, said her school has added 300 students from private schools this year.
“Many parents cited loss of livelihood as the reason,” she said. Following a government order, schools have been admitting students with aadhar card and birth certificate, without insisting on transfer certificates.
The Panchayat Union Primary School in Medavakkam has become the most populated primary school in the state with 1,900 students. Admissions here increased from 445 in 2019-20 to 922 in 2021-22, and 99% of them were from private schools in Sholinganallur, Pallavaram, Nanmangalam Medavakkam, Perumbakkam, Sembalkam, Jalladianpet and Kovilambakkam. Teachers said the English medium was one of the main attractions for parents. The school also gives importance to hygiene.
“The 35 teachers contribute Rs500 to employ a sanitary worker to keep the toilets clean,” said headmistress G Umamaheswari.
More students means more needs. While the Medavakkam school needs 15 more teachers and 15 more classrooms, the one at Mannivakkam, where the students strength went up from 325 to 750, needs nine extra classrooms and more teachers. “We had arranged chairs and tables for all students through a donor before the pandemic. Now it will be difficult to give separate tables and chairs for each student,” said Jancy Rani.
Alapakkam PUPS near Maduravoyal has added 500 students, taking the student strength to 768. Officials of the school education department said the number of schools with more than 300 students has increased from 260 to 1,327 after the pandemic.
Most of them are children of labourers, drivers, electricians, private company employees, daily wagers and shop owners who could not pay the fees in private schools because of the lockdown. Semi-urban educational blocks like Mount, Kattankolathur and Villivakkam have registered more than 100% increase in admissions in 2021 over 2019. The schools now conduct classes on alternate days.
Medavakkam resident Mohammed Niyas, who supplies stationery to shops, said his income fell with the closure of schools during the lockdown and he couldn’t afford his children’s fees in a private school. “I shifted them to a government primary school. Teachers here give personal attention to them,” he said.
Valli, a parent from Mannivakkam, said her husband, a truck driver, was out of work and they couldn’t pay the Rs 64,000 annual fees for her two children. We decided to shift them to a government school and we are happy with the decision,” she said.
Jancy Rani D, headmistress of Panchayat Union Primary School (PUPS) in Mannivakkam, said her school has added 300 students from private schools this year.
“Many parents cited loss of livelihood as the reason,” she said. Following a government order, schools have been admitting students with aadhar card and birth certificate, without insisting on transfer certificates.
The Panchayat Union Primary School in Medavakkam has become the most populated primary school in the state with 1,900 students. Admissions here increased from 445 in 2019-20 to 922 in 2021-22, and 99% of them were from private schools in Sholinganallur, Pallavaram, Nanmangalam Medavakkam, Perumbakkam, Sembalkam, Jalladianpet and Kovilambakkam. Teachers said the English medium was one of the main attractions for parents. The school also gives importance to hygiene.
“The 35 teachers contribute Rs500 to employ a sanitary worker to keep the toilets clean,” said headmistress G Umamaheswari.
More students means more needs. While the Medavakkam school needs 15 more teachers and 15 more classrooms, the one at Mannivakkam, where the students strength went up from 325 to 750, needs nine extra classrooms and more teachers. “We had arranged chairs and tables for all students through a donor before the pandemic. Now it will be difficult to give separate tables and chairs for each student,” said Jancy Rani.
Alapakkam PUPS near Maduravoyal has added 500 students, taking the student strength to 768. Officials of the school education department said the number of schools with more than 300 students has increased from 260 to 1,327 after the pandemic.
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