In last few years, over 2.3 lakh kids moved to govt schools from private: Delhi govt officials

New Delhi: In a metric that could possibly point towards the strides in education the Delhi government has made, over 2.3 lakh students have shifted to schools run by the AAP-led government from private schools in the last four years or so, according to senior officials in the administration.

One official added that the improvement in the infrastructure and quality of education in the state government-run schools is what had likely pushed so many parents to send their kids to state-run schools.

The 1,053 government schools along with 215 government-aided schools have seen a gradual rise in the number of students transferring in from private schools, the official added.

But in what could be a sign of the debilitating impact of the pandemic on people's livelihoods, many parents have had to shift to government schools, simply on account of losing their jobs or having moved to lesser-paying jobs.

One head of a Delhi government school in South Delhi said that lost income could also be pushing some families to pull their kids out of private schooling and opt for government education instead.

"I know some parents who were earning well enough to send their child to a private school near their home but since the breadwinner of the house lost the job, the child's parents have sought admission at this government school," the HoS said.

"A family of 5 living in a hand-to-mouth situation was compelled to send their two daughters and one son here," he added. The monthly income for the family was around Rs 20,000 but since the father lost the job, the mother had to work as a house help, which brings in less than Rs 6,000.

The priority for the parents in such situations becomes home rent and food and education takes a step back, he said.

"But they don't feel they are compromising, such parents are quite happy with the government school. Some of them in fact wonder why they didn't choose the government school in the first place," the principal added.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government has left no stone unturned to provide the best quality of education possible in its schools.

The government has also signed a Memorandum of Undertaking (MoU) with the International Baccalaureate (IB) to provide international standards of quality education to students studying in its schools. The tie-up is aimed to pave the way for students to access education of the highest quality.

The Delhi Government has also constituted its own school education board — Delhi Board of School Education with the purpose of providing access to a high-quality standard of education to all students.