Parents demand English medium schools as they link it with employment and status in society. Is the government listening?

Parents demand English medium schools as they link it with employment and status in society. Is the government listening?

- Sunita Aron

In 2015, the Allahabad high court had directed the state government to ensure that the children of bureaucrats, elected representatives and members of the judiciary, or any other person receiving benefits or salary from the state exchequer, study in government schools. The court had ruled that the order become operational from the next academic session.

Taking note of the dismal condition of government schools, Justice Sudhir Agarwal had advised the government to lay down penalty provisions for those violating the order. It became a hot topic of discussion in the corridors of power as a majority of officials sent their kids to public schools.

Later, in 2018, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court in which the petitioner alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government had failed to implement the 2015 high court order.

The petitioner had contended that the non-compliance with the high court order was affecting the interest of the children as primary schools run by the basic education board were victims of mal-administration and corruption and, thus, the interest of the common man was suffering.

In 2018, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had asked government teachers to send their children to government schools as it would instill confidence in others to follow suit. He had said that they were seeding doubts in their own capabilities by sending their kids to private schools.

The intent of all the orders was to highlight and improve the quality of government schools in the state, perhaps, on the presumption that teaching standards in the schools would improve if the teachers or the officials sent their wards there. A decade later, however, the schools continue to remain low in demand.

At a recent meeting convened by the education ministry with representatives of 33 states and Union Territories, an alarming drop in enrolment in government schools in 2024-25 was noticed.