JAIPUR: The state government’s decision to close 81 girls’ schools in a bid to open Mahatma Gandhi English Medium School (MGEMS), a co-ed school, could result in girl students dropping out, said experts.
These girls’ schools opened in the past 20 years in areas specific to some orthodox castes and communities showed a significant increase in the enrolment of girls but now the strong resistance of parents in these areas to not send girls to co-ed schools can impact the enrolment of girls.
Primarily these schools have been chosen due to their size and facilities so that they can fit into the criteria of the elite MGEMS. The state government in 2022-23 announced plans to open 179 MGEMS across the state. Later, the government issued directions that these schools would be open in the existing schools. The remaining 98 schools are co-ed schools which are going to be replaced by the MGEMS.
Pointing out the issue in the order, Puneet Sharma, an expert on education said that closing down these schools would rob the opportunity of studying from these girls as their parents have been comfortable in sending them to only girls’ school. “The harsh reality in the state is that if girls’ enrolments have risen significantly, the only girl’s schools and colleges have contributed a lot to it. The co-ed schools might prevent several parents from sending their girls to schools,” said Sharma.
Another fear is that in MGEMS the process of admission is purely based on a lottery system which doesn’t give a guarantee to the existing students to study in the same school. “Also, these schools attract a huge rush from parents, which makes the admission tougher for the existing students,” said Sharma.
