Thegovernment schools, it seems, are all set to better the previous year’senrollment figures. From the data received from the education department duringthe first week of the start of the academic year 2021-22, as many as 33132students have got themselves shifted from private to government schools in thestate.
Besides,during the past academic session also, Punjab was the only state in the countrywhere about 15 percent increase in enrollment in government schools waswitnessed despite the unprecedented pandemic COVID-19.
Andnow again for the academic session 2021-22, the education department by makinguse of technology and improving infrastructure, is making sure it surpasses itsprevious year’s tally of enrollment.
Asper the available information, so far, as many as 3450 students in Ludhiana,3145 in Hoshiarpur, 2548 in Patiala, 2178 in Gurdaspur, 2080 in Bathinda, 2041in Jalandhar, 1790 in Amritsar, 1527 in Sangrur, 1227 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 1209in Pathankot, 1200 in Fazilka, 1180 in Nawanshahr, 1151 in Tarn Taran , 1093 inMohali, 1089 in Ferozepur, 1074 in Moga, 1035 in Barnala, 1005 in Ropar, 983 inMukatsar, 919 in Kapurthala, 635 in Faridkot and 573 in Mansa district havepreferred to shift from private schools to avail the benefits of betterinfrastructural as well as quality education facilities available in thegovernment schools.
Itis pertinent to mention here that massive enrollment drive is currentlyunderway in the state. The Education Secretary, Krishan Kumar, has himself madeannouncements using the Public address system of Gurdwaras and visited "doorto ddor" at some villages recently to give fillip to the enrollment driveby making the masses aware about the changing scenario of government schools.
Theofficials, school heads, teachers and non teaching employees of the departmenthave been exerting their nerves to convert the enrollment drive into a massmovement in its true spirit. The school teachers are using public addresssystem of gurudwaras and other religious places, going door to door,distributing pamphlets, affixing flexhoardings, plying rickshaws / vans playing promotional songs , staging streetplays at public places and setting up canopies at Mela sites to highlight therevolutionary improvement in infrastructure as well as quality educationfacilities.
“Thereis great potential in the teachers. The need of the hour is to convert these potentialitiesinto actuality. The confidence with which school teachers are highlighting theimproved infrastructural and quality education facilities, a positive change inthe public perception about the government schools is abundantly visible.Hence, the enrollment during the current academic year is likely to improvefurther", said Krishan Kumar while exhorting the school heads and teachersto aware the parents about the facility of separate sections for the studentsaspiring to opt English medium and setting up "Admission Helpline"manned with dedicated Nodal Officer at school level.