Students shift from private to govt schools in pandemic
Times of Bennett | Updated: Jan 31, 2022 08:01
By SHREYA MISHRA
NEW DELHI: Declining income due to the pandemic-time job losses has impacted HighSchool education with financially stressed parents moving their children out of expensive private schools to Government ones.
This is the main finding of the Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) released byPratham , an NGO working in the education sector. The report underlines that “enrolment in private schools decreasing from 32.5% in 2018 to 24.4% in 2021 among children aged 6-14. The Government school enrollment , in contrast, has been declining since 2006 till it stabilized at around 65 per cent in 2018 and jumped to 70.3 per cent in 2021,” it says.
The report cites the closure of private schools as one reason. “Many affordable private schools have shut down during thepandemic – this could also be driving the shift to Government schools,” it adds. A field report from Gujarat and Maharashtra by Times of Bennett substantiates this and gives fresh insight into this issue.
Salma Pathan, Principal, St Xavier’s High School, Vapi, says that many students migrated back to villages due to the financial crisis in the family. “Around eight students left the school in 2020,” she says. Loss of job has been a major factor, she said, adding that students shifted to villages to join Government schools.
“One of the Class 9 students due to financial problems shifted to his native place,” Brijesh Kumar Mishra, administrator, Dayanand Anglo Vedic Public School,Navi Mumbai , says. The child continues to attend online classes from the village.
But the stress on already stretched meagre resources of Government schools is creating its own set of problems.
The high enrollment in Government schools is an “overburden”, Pathan said. “Once the pandemic recedes and things normalise, it will be a huge task for Government school teachers to manage the numbers,” she adds.
Mishra, on the other hand, endorsed the problems posed by the sudden burden on these schools but expressed confidence that they will eventually be able to cope. But he said, providing “good infrastructure and co-scholastic education is required in the Government schools.”
Even so, he’s alive to the shortcomings of Government schools. “When children give competitive exams, every child looks for marks that can get him into a Government college. But, when it comes to school, no child wants to join a Government school. This is because the Government is yet to upgrade these schools,” he adds.
While some Government schools are “outstanding”, there are “many others where the facilities are not that good,” said Pathan. However, she believes “the shift might not be permanent. Once the situation normalises and the financial issues are resolved, students may shift back to private schools,” she feels.
NEW DELHI: Declining income due to the pandemic-time job losses has impacted High
This is the main finding of the Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) released by
The report cites the closure of private schools as one reason. “Many affordable private schools have shut down during the
Salma Pathan, Principal, St Xavier’s High School, Vapi, says that many students migrated back to villages due to the financial crisis in the family. “Around eight students left the school in 2020,” she says. Loss of job has been a major factor, she said, adding that students shifted to villages to join Government schools.
“One of the Class 9 students due to financial problems shifted to his native place,” Brijesh Kumar Mishra, administrator, Dayanand Anglo Vedic Public School,
But the stress on already stretched meagre resources of Government schools is creating its own set of problems.
The high enrollment in Government schools is an “overburden”, Pathan said. “Once the pandemic recedes and things normalise, it will be a huge task for Government school teachers to manage the numbers,” she adds.
Mishra, on the other hand, endorsed the problems posed by the sudden burden on these schools but expressed confidence that they will eventually be able to cope. But he said, providing “good infrastructure and co-scholastic education is required in the Government schools.”
Even so, he’s alive to the shortcomings of Government schools. “When children give competitive exams, every child looks for marks that can get him into a Government college. But, when it comes to school, no child wants to join a Government school. This is because the Government is yet to upgrade these schools,” he adds.
While some Government schools are “outstanding”, there are “many others where the facilities are not that good,” said Pathan. However, she believes “the shift might not be permanent. Once the situation normalises and the financial issues are resolved, students may shift back to private schools,” she feels.
