73% more children in pvt schools than 10 years ago

CHENNAI: There’s a gradual yet steady shift from government to private schools across the country. In Tamil Nadu, there’s been a more than 73% increase in the number of students in the 6-14 age group going to private schools in 2014 compared to 2004.
The Annual Status of Education Report 2014 of Pratham Education Foundation, an NGO, shows that the national average of children attending government elementary schools is 64.9% and private schools 30.8%.The corresponding rate in TN is 67.2% in government schools and 31.9% in private schools. While the rate of children enrolled in private schools in the age group in 2005 was 18.4%, in 2014 it went up to 31.9%.
Kanyakumari (72.8%) and the Nilgiris (65.3%) recorded the highest enrolment in private schools in 2014. The state average is around 35% and the other 27 districts that were part of the survey showed an enrolment rate of between 21.2% (in Salem) and 36.8% (in Coimbatore).
In the Nilgiris, experts said, the presence of a large number of CBSE and ISCE schools owned by private trusts was one reason for the high enrolment in private schools.
“Schools in Nilgiris have displayed a good academic record over the years and some residential schools are more than 100 years old. The reputation of these schools draws many students from across the country,” said Umar Farouq G, correspondent, Crescent Castle Public School, Ooty.
In his essay ‘Looking Back and Looking Ahead’ in the ASER 2014 report, Pratham CEO-president Madhav Chavan said, “The private sector is no more just a small group of education providers.”
In TN, almost 95% students in classes 1 to 5 took private tuitions, spending around 100 on them.
The situation in private schools is not better either. Almost 79% students in class 1 to 5 spent 100 or less for tuition and 18.5% spent between 100 and 200.
For many years, TN had been able to draw and retain students in government schools in rural areas because of a good school network. The state’s flagship mid-day meal scheme and freebies from the schoolbag and everything in it to footwear also helped keep students in government schools, but things changed.
Private schools offered English as the medium of instruction — the one thing the state policy did not allow in government schools. Many government schools now offer one English medium section, and they are big draws. However, the damage is done, and many government schools have been merged or closed down for want of patronage.
Educationist Vasanthi Devi says other issues like caste too play a part in children being enrolled in private schools.
But, mostly it is the public perception that private schools show better learning outcomes than government schools that is considered the primary reason for the shift from government to private schools.