The ambitious ‘Mana Vooru — Mana Badi’ programme, a canvassing activity of all teachers of government schools, is expected to strengthen as many as 6,100 schools in the district. In all, 16,500 teachers, including primary, upper primary, and high school streams, are set to participate in the event till May 5.
After bifurcation of the State, a sweeping trend among parents is to seek admission for their children in private schools, which is dominantly seen in the urban and semi-urban areas. It is only in the interior rural pockets that the government schools have monopoly, irrespective of their strengths.
Senior teachers, leading the fortnight-long canvass, have observed that they are facing uneasy questions from the parents in municipal towns and villages surrounding them.
“Where are your children studying? Where did they study? These are regular questions,” the campaigning gurus say, adding that this scenario is forcing them to be casual during their assignments, without insisting on the parents to send their children to the government schools. “Gradually, the parents’ mindset towards government schools has become very critical. Immediately we cannot do anything. They want us to show them results. At this stage, it is impossible,” said a senior headmaster in the eastern mandals.
During the last one decade, there is a gradual decline in the number of students joining the government schools, particularly impacting the tribal hamlets.
For instance, the number of students of the ST community who joined in Class I in 2004 stood at 3,681. The same batch dwindled to 1,856 in Class X in 2014.
The private schools in Tirupati, Chittoor, Srikalahasti, and Madanapalle have concentrated on luring students of the villagers covering a radius of 10 km of each town by operating buses and vans.
Another reason for the sweeping tilt towards the private schools is that the government schools offer English medium only from Class VI.
“After all, children are everything in the lives of parents. In spite of their drawbacks, everyone wants to give the best education to his child, and see him go to school decently dressed. Irregular supply of uniforms has come to create a negative impact on the government schools,” said a headmaster retiring in February 2017.
Speaking to The Hindu , District Educational Officer Nageswara Rao expressed confidence that the lost glory of government schools would be regained through concerted efforts of the teachers.
“Our district has 70 per cent literacy rate. Government teachers are also coming forward to admit their children in government schools. For instance, it is 40 per cent in Irala mandal. Through gradual publicity and by winning the hearts of parents, we are going to register success. Government schools outnumber private schools in the ratio of 6100: 1250,” the official said.
