Government schools go all out increase enrollment

Neha Saini

Tribune news service

Amritsar, March 24, 2021

As hundreds of parents facing financial hurdles are considering shifting their wards from private schools to government schools in the state, the district education department, too, is taking lead and is set to break the stereotyped perceptions about government school education.

Adopting innovative ideas to make the “Each One, Bring One” drive, currently underway in the state, the Enrolment Booster Teams have been constituted.

Reaching out to parents, these teams are adopting methods like nukkad nataks, songs, making short films highlighting the achievements of government schools to spread the message.

While the bottom line is to increase enrolment in government schools, the exercise is also helping change perception of education in government schools.

Devinder Kumar, social media coordinator, Amritsar, who has been spearheading the creative campaign, says that the idea is to instil confidence in government schools education.

“Rather than just capitalising on the current financial pressure that private school education is putting on parents, we aim to make people aware of the infrastructure we have and our academic achievements. We have performed nukkad natak at public spaces like Company Bagh and Anand Park where we have received a good response. We have also recorded songs and made a short film that will be released soon. This exercise will help get the facts right about facilities that goverment schools offer,” he said.

The officials of the department, school heads and teachers have been going all out and carrying out door-to-door campaigns to highlight extension and augmentation of infrastructural facilities, innovative teaching techniques, activity-based learning, Smart Classrooms, Educational Parks, e-content, option of English Medium as well as welfare schemes like free books, uniforms, mid-day meal, scholarships to eligible beneficiaries.

Deepika Dean, Headmistress, Government High School, Abdal, has been carrying out such enrolment camps in her block. “Prior to organising Enrolment Camps, announcement through Public Address System of the village gurdwara is made to make people aware about it. The move will help people gain first-hand knowledge about our academic programmes and extracurricular activities. There is a chance for us to break stereotypical attitude about government schools and also make people realise that public education system has much more to offer now,” said Deepika Dean.