The recent 2019 rankings of government schools by Education World India clearly shows how determinant Arvind Kejriwal-led government has been towards achieving the philosophy of education iterated by Swami Vivekananda. The enlightened man said, “Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man.”
Education is seen as a key to future opportunities, and in this regard, there has been a broad distinction between the government and private schools in our country. This can be inferred from the fact that our entire perception changes when we think of sending our child to a government school.
But Why Do Government Schools Have A Bad Image?
- It is widely known that infrastructure facilities provided to the students of government schools are not up to the mark.
- A lack of teachers and a high rise of absenteeism make the completion of academic curriculum a cause of worry in government-run schools.
- There’s also a lack of extra-curricular activities which are necessary exposure for the holistic development of a child.
- The parents also fear the lack of qualified teachers, who are well-equipped with the basics of fundamental teaching and learners-oriented approach.
- The other important factor is low avenues of exposure to meet the rising competition in educational and related domains such as research, innovation, etc.
But that’s not the case anymore—not at least for Delhi. This picture is changing gradually, and this year’s Education World India ranking for government schools has shown that Delhites are soon going to see a major uptrend in government school enrollment. The 2019 ranking shows that three Delhi schools have made it to the list of Top 10 government schools in the country. Interestingly, the first position is bagged by Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, Sector 10 Dwarka, New Delhi. The list can be accessed here.
So What Changed The Picture Of Delhi Government Schools?
Well, first of all, the strong motivation and political will of the Aam Aadmi Party towards raising the standards of education have done a lot of wonders. Secondly, the huge amount of budgetary allocation towards the education domain is another significant reason for the success.
I was surprised to know that the Delhi government had allocated ₹15,601 crores for education in 2019, which makes it almost 26% of their total budget. Moreover, there has been a state-wide infrastructural development in these schools. Not even the centre has allocated this much share to our education in history.
It was also reported that the Arvind Kejriwal cabinet has been sending their teachers for training sessions and workshops overseas in countries like Finland, Iceland, and others. The administration has also announced a new university in applied sciences, which will cater to skill-based courses at different levels like a diploma, certificate, graduate and post-graduate, MPhil and PhD degrees.
The latest budget also saw the allocation of 9 crores for the tablet distribution to the students of class 11 and 12 in its schools of excellence and Pratibha Vikas Vidhyalaya. The introduction of smart classes and high-end infrastructural modules for interactive learning has also helped a lot. Moreover, the initiation of ‘Happiness curriculum‘ has been a game-changer if we see it as a component of mental health development on the part of the stressed life of our students.
Though there is more to be done in this field and overhaul of all the lagging areas, bringing every single government school up to the mark, it is pleasant to see a tiny ray of hope.
I am delighted to see the results of honest effort. I usually don’t write taking sides with a government’s policies. But growing up hearing stories of government schools and now seeing a wave of change has undoubtedly compelled me to at least contribute a little appreciation to this story of progress.