Over 4,000 students in private institutions, including 1,600 from English medium ones, shifted to state-run Marathi medium schools this year; improved infrastructure, qualified teachers and instruction in mother tongue attracting new-age parents
Three years ago, when a Junnar (Pune) doctor Pursuhottam Borhade decided to shift his child from an English medium private school to a zilla parishad school, his friends and relatives were not only shocked, but also warned him that he was "compromising" his son's career prospects.
"Not bowing to societal pressure, I withdrew my son Aditya (then six) from the English medium school, where he had completed junior and senior KG, and admitted him to a zilla parishad shala," said Dr Borhade.
On what prompted him to change his mind within two years of putting his son in English medium school, he said, "I realised that it would be better if my child learnt in the same environment and the same language as that spoken at home." Now a Std IV student, Aditya (10) is not only doing good academically, but he is also much relaxed and happy.
Borhade is not alone. Over 35 children in his area have left various private schools to join the same government school in 2015 and 2016.
Another physician Dr Ashish Uchagaonkar, who runs a hospital in Alephata (Pune), did the same last year. "I had admitted my daughter Anushree in a private school. But within two years (KG) I realised that she was neither able to speak Marathi nor English properly due to poor teaching. She was also losing out on our cultural values and festivals," he said.
Uchagaonkar and his MPhil wife have decided that they will take care of her English themselves and let her learn the other subjects properly.
Their decision was the talk of the town for months, especially since even humbled families were sending their children to private schools just to "ensure" they are not left behind. "My only answer to everyone was: There is no research to prove that kids of private schools have done better in life compared to (those in) government schools," he added. This year, over a dozen people in his neighbourhood have shifted their children to government schools from private.
You can call it a reverse migration. Parents in Maharashtra are no more obsessed with private and English medium schools, bucking the trend of last three decades, which has weakened the public education system considerably. This was despite the fact that the government schools offer free textbooks, uniforms and midday meals.
As per the latest government statistics, over 4,000 children have switched from private schools to government ones this year so far. Top five districts witnessing such migration are Ahmednagar (256), Satara (197), Latur (146), Bhandardara (118) and Thane (48). The switch is happening in all classes.
Final figures are awaited. Even as the shift started a couple of years ago, the government started compiling data only this year. Mumbai is not included as schools are under the municipal corporation.
This shift is significant considering experts had predicted that government schools would bleed further after implementation of the Right to Education Act, which guarantees 25% seats in private schools to poor children.
"Government schools are improving on all fronts. Some are better than private schools, especially in smaller cities and rural areas. Within a few years, our schools will outsmart the private ones," said Nand Kumar, school education secretary of Maharashtra.
Hundreds of government schools are now offering semi-English medium education. In Yavatmal and other parts of Vidarbha, zilla parishad schools are aggressively advertising through pamphlets and banners listing out facilities to outdo private schools.
Over 100 rural schools have established digital classrooms with the help of proactive teachers and community. A school in Kenjal (Pune) recently got renovated with the help of villagers who collected Rs2 crore.
"Qualified teachers, better and less stressful learning system and sports facilities are attracting new-age parents. With such an overwhelming support from the society, perception of the state education system will change swiftly," said a senior official from Maharashtra Primary School Parishad.
Out of 3 lakh teachers, nearly 60% are hardworking, say officials. "We are banking on such teachers. Some of them are using innovative methods in classrooms. Some are setting up digital classrooms with financial help from the community," said an official.
Student stats
1,600 have gone from English medium pvt schools to govt Marathi medium schools
4,000 overall have made the switch
1,000 Std I have moved
57 lakh children are currently studying in over 65,000 government-run primary schools in Maharashtra.
44 lakh kids are studying in over 15,000 private unaided and aided primary schools in the state.
24% from 8% has been the rise in the number of kids studying in English medium private schools in Maharashtra in the last 10 years.
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