‘Every child has the right to education': Union Minister Paatil lays foundation stone for redevelopment of 7 municipal school buildings in Surat
Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Paatil said, 'Every child has the right to education. Many students will benefit from these new schools, as the classrooms have been equipped with the latest technologies and facilities… I also studied in a municipal school for six years.'
The schools marked for redevelopment are situated in South B zone (Kanakpur), Limbayat, Varachha A and B zones, and Rander zone.
Appreciating the 'innovative education system' implemented by Surat Municipal School Board, Paatil said, 'Surat is the fourth fastest developing city in the world with different development projects being carried out by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC). Surat is moving ahead with the pre-planning for the next 50 years. Within a short period, people in Surat will get facilities like Bullet train and Metro train.'
At the event organised at an SMC Primary School at Pardi Kande in Surat city, the minister stressed on the importance of water conservation at homes to realise the motto of 'Water is Life' and 'Water is Tomorrow'. Paatil said children should be taught the importance of water conservation from an early age.
Surat City mayor Daxesh Mavani and Choryasi BJP MLA Sandeep Desai along with officials of the Surat Municipal School Board were present on the occasion.
Mavani said, 'Generally, there is a trend among the parents to get their children educated in private schools. However, here in Surat, there is a reverse trend, where parents are shifting their children from private schools to municipal schools. The reason is the good percentage obtained by students in Class 10 and Class 12 exams. On the lines of private schools, municipal students are also given training in robotics, coding, drones, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for a better future.'
There are approximately 362 municipal schools in Surat catering to around 2 lakh students — the highest number in the state. Sources in the Surat Municipal Education Board said that this year, around 48 schools in the state have been approved for 'Schools of Excellence' category by the state government. These schools will have larger classrooms, computer training rooms, multipurpose halls, and laboratories.
Of these 48 schools, foundation stones for redevelopment work for 10 such schools were laid in Surat.The construction will be carried out at a cost of Rs 35.47 crore and the work is supposed to be completed by year-end. In the interim, students of schools undergoing redevelopment have been transferred to other municipal schools.
Notably, with Surat being home to a large number of migrants drawn towards its diamond, textile and chemical industries, the SMC runs several schools imparting education in Gujarati, English, Hindi, Urdu, Telugu, and Marathi. This year, the overall pass percentage of municipal school students in the state board exams was 96% for Class 10 and 94% for Class 12, said Mavani.
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