The English-medium Mumbai Public Schools (MPS) started by BMC with public private partnership (with NGOs) seem to be more in demand among the people from lower economic strata. According to Praja Foundation report, there has been consistent drop in class I enrollments across all mediums of instruction, except English between 2009-10 and 2013-14. But overall, the dropout rates in Hindi and Urdu medium schools have gone up substantially in the last five years.
In English-medium schools, there is a drop by 1.2% in enrollment, and the dropout rate is less than 5.8%. However, the dropout rate in Urdu schools is 13.1% in 2013-14 and in Hindi schools, it's 17% compared with other regional language schools in the last five years. Twelve out of 100 students dropped out in 2013-14, compared to nine out of 100 in 2012-13. Dropouts indicate students who enrolled in the academic year but did not complete it.
Nitai Mehta, founder of Praja Foundation, said: "Education has been neglected and orphaned. Poor results lead to parents taking their children out of BMC schools. Nobody talks about the quality of education. More than freebies (27 items), parents are interested in quality education. The focus should be on quality education for which more accountability and transparency are required. A third party should evaluate the performance of teachers and children as per Right to Education (RTE) norms. Self-evaluation by the department must stop."
According to the Praja report, 157 councillors did not ask a single question on education during the entire year and only six asked more than four questions related to education.
Nasiruddin Shaikh, Urdu BMC school, vice president of Brihanmumbai Mahanagarpalika Shikshak Sabha, said: "Because of BMC English medium schools, the number of students taking admission in Urdu schools has come down. The dropout rate in Urdu-medium schools is high because of families being rehabilitated from one place to another."
BMC official speak
Chairman of BMC education committee Vinod Shelar said: "The demand for English-medium schools is not restricted to Mumbai. And as a result, there has been a decline in attendance in Marathi, Gujarati and to certain extent Hindi-medium schools. We are now planning to start 64 semi-English medium schools next year in the city." The city currently has 84 English-medium schools.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}