The government schools, it seems, are all set to better the previous year’s enrollment figures. From the data received from the education department during the first week of the start of the academic year 2021-22, as many as 33132 students have got themselves shifted from private to government schools in the state.
Besides, during the past academic session also, Punjab was the only state in the country where about 15 percent increase in enrollment in government schools was witnessed despite the unprecedented pandemic COVID-19.
And now again for the academic session 2021-22, the education department by making use of technology and improving infrastructure, is making sure it surpasses its previous year’s tally of enrollment.
As per the available information, so far, as many as 3450 students in Ludhiana, 3145 in Hoshiarpur, 2548 in Patiala, 2178 in Gurdaspur, 2080 in Bathinda, 2041 in Jalandhar, 1790 in Amritsar, 1527 in Sangrur, 1227 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 1209 in Pathankot, 1200 in Fazilka, 1180 in Nawanshahr, 1151 in Tarn Taran , 1093 in Mohali, 1089 in Ferozepur, 1074 in Moga, 1035 in Barnala, 1005 in Ropar, 983 in Mukatsar, 919 in Kapurthala, 635 in Faridkot and 573 in Mansa district have preferred to shift from private schools to avail the benefits of better infrastructural as well as quality education facilities available in the government schools.
It is pertinent to mention here that massive enrollment drive is currently underway in the state. The Education Secretary, Krishan Kumar, has himself made announcements using the Public address system of Gurdwaras and visited "door to ddor" at some villages recently to give fillip to the enrollment drive by making the masses aware about the changing scenario of government schools.
The officials, school heads, teachers and non teaching employees of the department have been exerting their nerves to convert the enrollment drive into a mass movement in its true spirit. The school teachers are using public address system of gurudwaras and other religious places, going door to door, distributing pamphlets, affixing flex hoardings, plying rickshaws / vans playing promotional songs , staging street plays at public places and setting up canopies at Mela sites to highlight the revolutionary improvement in infrastructure as well as quality education facilities.
“There is great potential in the teachers. The need of the hour is to convert these potentialities into actuality. The confidence with which school teachers are highlighting the improved infrastructural and quality education facilities, a positive change in the public perception about the government schools is abundantly visible. Hence, the enrollment during the current academic year is likely to improve further", said Krishan Kumar while exhorting the school heads and teachers to aware the parents about the facility of separate sections for the students aspiring to opt English medium and setting up "Admission Helpline" manned with dedicated Nodal Officer at school level.