New trend in Gujarat: Students shifting from private to govt schools, finds report

Banaskantha (Gujarat) [India], June 26 (ANI): A new trend is being observed in Gujarat, where the students from private schools are shifting towards government schools, owing to the improved quality of education and facilities available in the public educational institutions.
As per figures received from the Primary Education Department, Government of Gujarat, the number of such shift of students from private to government schools across the state in 2018-19 and 2019-20 is 33,822 and 31,382 respectively and that in Banaskantha district during the same period is 2,707 and 2,969 respectively.
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 430 students in the school as of now and the majority of the students are from outside the village, who took admission here after looking at the education quality and the facilities that we provide here. Moreover, our teachers are well qualified and some of them have even completed their Doctorate degrees and M.Phil, hence the future of the student who studies here is in good hands, Thakkar added.
A student Aksha, who shifted from private to government school recently said, "I like it here as the way of teaching is very nice. All the teachers teach us with love and we also study some subjects in the digital classrooms."
Shantibhai Parmar, grandfather of 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." (ANI)