Raising Enrolment Rate in Government Schools

Prelims: Education | Government Policies & Interventions | Current events of national and international importance

Why in News?

The Union Ministry of Education (MoE) asked at least 11 States and Union Territories to raise enrollment in government schools.

• Despite spending a large amount of money, students are moving away from government schools, which is a disturbing trend.
• The issue was pointed out to individual States in Project Approval Board (PAB) meetings to consider the Annual Work Plan and Budget under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for 2025-26.

Samagra Shiksha scheme is an integrated, centrally sponsored scheme for school education in India, encompassing all levels from pre-school to Class XII, aims to ensure universal access to quality education and equitable learning outcomes for all children.

• In Telangana, MoE has observed that the school enrolment trend in unaided schools is steadily increasing except for the COVID-19 period of 2021-22.
• A similar trend has been observed in Uttarakhand.
• Tamil Nadu State was urged to build the government school brand to increase enrolment and make best use of the available resources.
• In Andhra Pradesh, the UDISE+ 2023-24 data suggests that enrolment in unaided schools is steadily increasing.
• In Maharashtra’s the enrolment rate is reducing in both government and aided schools.
• Kerala said a similar exercise had been done there as well, when concerns were raised about the reduction of students in government and aided schools.
• A similar trend was also seen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Delhi, Puducherry, and Ladakh.

Reference

The Hindu | Raise enrolment in government schools