Amid repeated questions being raised by Delhi’s Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Gujarat’s education system where Delhi’s deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia even visited a few government schools in Gujarat counterpart Education Minister Jitu Vaghani’s constituency, the state government released numbers on the shift of students from private to government schools.

The Gujarat government claimed the ‘state-of-the-art educational facilities and other infrastructural facilities in government schools in the state, students are being educated through the integration of technology. The kind of work that the state government is doing to improve education has resulted in those who have dropped out of self-financed schools and are now sending their children to government schools.’

“In the last 7 years in the state, it is estimated that more than 3.27 lakh students have left self-financed schools and got admission in government primary schools. While in the city of Ahmedabad, in the last seven years, more than 40,000 students have shifted from private to government schools,” stated an official release issued by the state government Tuesday.

In August 2021, The Indian Express had reported this shift over the last seven years in the state and how Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation School Board was swarmed with recommendation letters by both BJP and Congress MLAs for admission of children from their constituencies whose names were in the waiting list in different classes of AMC run-school.

Recording the highest number of students shifting from private schools to government-run primary schools in Gujarat since 2014-15, nearly 61,000 students had admitted to over 32000 government primary schools across the state, in the academic session 2021-22. The new academic session will commence in June.

Listing out facilities in government schools, the state government added, “In the 21st century of Science parents especially look for facilities for their children in schools. These include a pre-education kit, 3D education chart, science and maths lab with a working model, a digital planetarium, future classroom, false ceiling, multiplay station and outdoor rubber mat, indoor mat, whiteboard, sports kit and library. Parents take admission of their wards in schools with all these facilities.”

Recording the highest number of students shifting from private schools to government-run primary schools in Gujarat since 2014-15, nearly 61,000 students had admitted to over 32000 government primary schools across the state, in the academic session 2021-22.

Quoting Administrative Officer of Ahmedabad Municipal school board LD Desai, the release stated, “Due to government policies, parents are thinking towards government schools. Parents are being made aware of state government’s policies including highly qualified teachers, increase in infrastructure facilities as well as the benefits offered by the government. As a result, parents get the best education in a government school, even better than a private school”.

He added that he had assured the parents that the trust placed on a government school would be 100 per cent fulfilled by the team school board. He further said that even for the new academic session, teachers have been given the responsibility for admission. The teachers are visiting every area meeting parents and explaining the benefits of getting admission in government schools.

Sujoy Mehta, Chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipal School Board stated that due to qualified sports grounds, high-tech teaching classes, hygiene and qualified teachers, government schools are giving competition to private schools.

He added that the main reason for coming to government schools from self-financed ones is that the quality of education in government schools is technology-enabled education, good infrastructure and education by experts.

“Due to all these characteristics, it is natural that parents and students are attracted towards government schools and admissions are also increased as they have better facilities than private schools,” the release quoted Mehta.

Data of shift from private to government schools in Gujarat in last 7 years (as per state education departments records)

He further said that waiting lists are also being seen in many government schools during the current year, and the waiting lists show that there is a lot of goodwill among government schools.

Since the last few years, the Ahmedabad municipal schools are running waiting lists above 200 despite adding the second section in several schools. Ahmedabad city has recorded the highest shift in the state among 33 districts and eight municipal corporations of nearly 4500 students from private schools during the academic session 2021-22.