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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Identifying steady increase in private school enrolments, Centre asks States to reverse trend
Flagging a 'disturbing trend' of students choosing private schools over government schools in at least 11 States and Union Territories — including Uttarakhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh — the Union Ministry of Education (MoE) has asked these States to take 'remedial steps' to reverse the trend. The issue was pointed out to individual States in Project Approval Board (PAB) meetings held in March and April earlier this year to consider the Annual Work Plan and Budget under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for 2025-26. In Telangana, for instance, the PAB meeting minutes note that as per Unified District Information System for Eduction plus (UDISE+) 2023-24 data, out of 42,901 schools in the State, 70% (30,022) are government schools and 28.26% (12,126) are unaided schools. 'Total enrolment in government schools is only 38.11% (27.8 lakh) as compared to 60.75% (44.31 lakh) enrolment in unaided schools,' the minutes note. 'Take remedial steps' MoE has observed that the school enrolment trend during 2018-19 to 2023-24 suggests that, except during 2021-22, when education was disrupted by COVID-19, enrolment in unaided schools is steadily increasing. According to the minutes of the meetings, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar expressed his concerns that in spite of spending a large amount of money, students are moving away from government schools, which is a disturbing trend. He suggested that States should make a sincere analysis of the root cause so as to take remedial steps and reverse this trend. 'Build government school brand' A trend similar to Telangana has been observed in Uttarakhand, where enrolment in unaided schools has steadily increased except for the COVID-19 period of 2021-22. In Uttarakhand, the minutes note, as per UDISE+ 2023-24, out of 22,551 schools in the state, 71.84% (16, 201) are government schools and 23.29% (5252) are unaided schools. 'However, total enrolment in government schools is only 36.68% (8.7 lakh) as compared to 54.39% (12.90 lakh) enrolment in unaided schools,' the minutes state. In Tamil Nadu, MoE observed that as per UDISE+ 2023-24, 64% of government schools in the State have 37% enrolment whereas 21% of unaided school have 46% enrolment. 'In this regard, State was urged to build the government school brand so as to increase enrolment and make best use of the available resources,' the minutes state. In Andhra Pradesh, the UDISE+ 2023-24 data states that, out of 61,373 schools in the State, 45,000 (73.32%) are government schools and 15,232 (24.82%) are unaided schools. 'However, total enrolment in government schools is 46.33% (40.5 lakh) as compared to 52.09% (45.53 lakh) enrolment in unaided schools. Enrolment trend during 2021-22 to 2023-24 suggests that enrolment in unaided schools is steadily increasing,' the minutes state. Data cleansing exercise During Maharashtra's PAB meet, when the Union School Education Secretary expressed concerns about the reduction in enrolment in government and aided schools, from over 1.63 crore students in 2018-19 to a little over 1.50 crore in 2023-24, the State's Principal Secretary for Education & Sports attributed the trend to a data cleansing excercise, using Aadhaar verification. Kerala's Principal Secretary for Education said a similar exercise had been done there as well, when concerns were raised about the reduction of students in government and aided schools, from close to 46.37 lakh in 2022-23 to 45.50 lakh in 2023-24. 'Apart from this, the State (Kerala) is also making APAAR IDs in order to validate enrolment details,' the minutes noted. A similar trend was also seen in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Delhi, Puducherry, and Ladakh, according to the meeting minutes.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Armed with YouTube, Punjab teachers take Telugu challenge head-on, classes begin under Bharatiya Bhasha camp
Okati (one), rendu (two), moodu (three), naalugu (four), aidu (five), aaru (six), edu (seven) — these numbers reverberated in the classrooms of Punjab government schools as the students started learning the basics of Telugu language on Monday, as part of the week-long 'Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp 2025', following a direction issued by the Union Ministry of Education. Armed with YouTube videos and study material provided by the Punjab Education Department, the teachers of classes 6 to 10 took the challenge to teach a new language to the children head on, even though they had to first learn the basics of Telugu for the first time in their lives. With the 'never say die spirit' Punjabis are known for, the Telugu classes commenced at most of the schools on Monday. While it all may read too perfect, ground realities made it a herculean task for teachers in Punjab. While students were visibly excited to learn a new language, teachers say a training session would have helped them prepare better. From script to pronunciation, teachers 'felt little nervous' that they might end up teaching students something wrong, unintentionally. However, teachers say, 'YouTube videos were a great help'. At several schools, teachers even wrote Telugu alphabets and numbers in Punjabi, to make students understand better. Speaking to The Indian Express, a Punjabi teacher from Bathinda district said: 'Students were curious to learn the new language, but first, we had to learn from scratch. We took help from the material provided by the Department, and YouTube videos. We segregated students in groups, as per the Centre's order, and began the classes with lessons on alphabets and numbers. Had there been a training session for us, by Telugu experts, it would have been easier. I am sure Andhra Pradesh teachers must have also felt the same while teaching Punjabi.' At most schools, English, Hindi, and Punjabi teachers were assigned the task to teach Telugu, with a few seeing Mathematics teachers doing the job. An English teacher from Mohali said: 'The challenges are obvious as teachers also do not know the language. They are using videos, and making students learn Telugu. That's the best they can do… There are Samarth classes during the first four periods, and now, Telugu has been added. Studies would suffer… Thank God, this is only for seven days.' Highlighting the ground realities, an English teacher from Ludhiana said though he appreciates the initiative, staff shortage was a challenge in the school. 'It is a good initiative, but we needed a training session — before such an abrupt order was issued. We have a severe staff shortage in the school. I'm a lecturer, but have to teach students of classes 9 and 10. Same goes for Punjabi and Economics teachers, who have to teach upper primary classes too… We have started Telugu language classes today (Monday), but it's not easy. Also, how can we teach Kuchipudi, a classical dance-drama originating from Andhra Pradesh, to students? We don't know it ourselves,' he said, laughing. Another English teacher from Jalandhar, taking Telugu classes on Monday, said the 'idea was good in books', but ground realities in Punjab schools were not. 'Students do not even know their mother tongue Punjabi well, they are still learning. Without proper training, how can even teachers teach Telugu? Also, there's a sea of difference in the pronunciation in northern and southern regions… But yes, a positive outcome could be that Punjabi children would learn to be more tolerant. This exercise will bring awareness about different languages among them.' A Mathematics teacher from Sangrur, who also had to take Telugu classes on Day 1 of the camp, said: 'Students were excited as well as about learning a new language. We took help of YouTube — it was basically self-learning, and then teaching the language. Our Hindi teacher also helped us… A training session would have been helpful, but teachers know how to manage such last-minute activities.' Mentioning it was a refreshing experience, an English teacher from Mansa said: 'We had assumed students might not be interested in learning Telugu. But when we showed them the alphabets and numbers on a projector, they started asking questions, showing keen interest in the language. We also showed them YouTube videos. On Monday, they completed numbers 1-10, and have been assigned the homework of learning 11-20, with the help of the Internet. We also showed them historical structures of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana… Though we did not get any training, YouTube, with an audio-visual effect, has been an excellent source for us to learn. On Tuesday, we will teach them basic conversations and greetings in Telugu.' Under the Central government's 'Bharatiya Bhasha Camp', different states from the North and the South have been paired to make students learn the basics of an additional language from other states, besides those in their school curriculum. Under the exchange programme, students in Punjab — which has been paired with Andhra Pradesh — are learning Telugu, and their counterparts Punjabi. Students will also be taught about historical monuments, food, culture, and dance among others to promote 'unity in diversity' under the Union government's 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' campaign. Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Punjab. Her interest lies in exploring both news and feature stories, with an effort to reflect human interest at the heart of each piece. She writes on gender issues, education, politics, Sikh diaspora, heritage, the Partition among other subjects. She has also extensively covered issues of minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She also explores the legacy of India's partition and distinct stories from both West and East Punjab. She is a gold medalist from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, the most revered government institute for media studies in India, from where she pursued English Journalism (Print). Her research work on 'Role of micro-blogging platform Twitter in content generation in newspapers' had won accolades at IIMC. She had started her career in print journalism with Hindustan Times before switching to The Indian Express in 2012. Her investigative report in 2019 on gender disparity while treating women drug addicts in Punjab won her the Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitivity in 2020. She won another Laadli for her ground report on the struggle of two girls who ride a boat to reach their school in the border village of Punjab. ... Read More
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Central school celebrates India's language diversity
The Bhartiya Bhasha Summer Camp was inaugurated at the PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No 2 in the Military Cantonment of Belagavi on Monday, with the theme — A Step Towards Honoring the Diversity of Indian Languages. The week-long camp will spread the message that language is not just a means of communication but it is also a powerful mirror of culture, identity and national unity. The camp is being organised as per the initiative of the Union Ministry of Education. 'The objective of this innovative camp is to introduce students to India's rich linguistic diversity, foster love for different languages and promote cultural inclusivity,' principal Mahendra Kalra said. 'India's unity lies in its linguistic diversity. When children learn new languages, they are not just learning words, they are learning thoughts, emotions and culture. This camp is a beautiful confluence of unity and diversity,' he said. Each day, the delegates will focus on two Indian languages, with a variety of engaging activities. These will include not only language learning but also experiential learning through presentations on traditional music, folk arts, paintings, cuisine, history and geography of the respective States. This approach will help students gain both linguistic skills and a deeper cultural understanding. On the first day of the camp, students learned common greetings in Marathi and Kannada. These were enthusiastically presented through colourful posters. Students also performed to the tunes of traditional folk music from the respective States and showcased cultural elements through drawings while wearing traditional attire. The camp includes storytelling, dialogue presentations, poster displays, dance and music performances and food exhibitions — activities that promote the holistic development of students. The active participation of both teachers and students is turning this initiative into a festive celebration. During the week, students will be introduced to languages like English, Marathi, Kannada and Hindi. Through this effort, they will not only learn to respect linguistic diversity but also imbibe the spirit of unity in diversity, which is the essence of India, said a release.
The Print
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
With fee layout set in ‘local context', University of Liverpool's Bengaluru campus to begin ops in 2026
The Union Ministry of Education handed over the Letter of Intent to the university Monday. The University of Liverpool, ranked 165 in the QS World University Rankings 2025, is the second UK-based and also the second international university to receive approval from the Union ministry of education to establish a campus in India under the University Grants Commission's 2023 regulations for foreign higher educational institutions, in line with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. New Delhi: The University of Liverpool's upcoming Bengaluru campus will initially offer courses in five key areas, including innovative fields like game design, with the fee structure to be determined based on 'local context', the institution's Vice Chancellor Tim Jones told ThePrint Monday. Last year, the University of Southampton, also based in the UK, had received similar approval. Its Gurugram campus is expected to begin operations by August. The University of Liverpool's Bengaluru campus is scheduled to start functioning in August 2026. 'We'll start with computer science, artificial intelligence, data science, along with business, accounting and finance, biomedical sciences, and also game design, which is quite unique, and something we're strong in at Liverpool. I think that will be very attractive in Bangalore,' Jones said in an interview with ThePrint. Highlighting the differing socio-economic demands of countries, he said that the university will be working on the details over the next few months before announcing the fee structure. 'But yes, we'll definitely be looking at the local context. There will be scholarships on offer as well, though details will follow,' he said. Looking ahead, he outlined the university's growth plans. 'Our plan in 10 years' time is to have 10,000 students on the campus—5,000 in five years, 10,000 in 10 years,' Jones said. Also Read: Amid Trump move to ban foreign enrolment at Harvard, a 'lifelong dream' at stake for Indian students 'Global' plans for Bengaluru campus Jones further said that the university aims to develop its India campus into a global institution, drawing inspiration from its 20-year-old campus in China. Its campus in Suzhou, China was established in 2006. 'Twenty years ago, the university established a joint venture campus in Suzhou, China, called XJTLU (Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University), which now has 27,000 students. It's widely regarded as one of the most successful international joint venture campuses, having grown in size, scope, reputation and quality. It's a very high-quality institution, so we do have a strong history of doing this, which is very important,' he added. Emphasising the intention to make the Bengaluru campus 'truly global' institute, he said, 'While the majority of students will likely be local, I very much hope we'll attract students from around the world as well. Fundamentally, universities should be full of global talent, because the interaction of people from different backgrounds and countries creates a rich intellectual and cultural environment—one of the key reasons why global universities are such special and successful places.' Handling over the letter of Intent to the University of Liverpool Monday, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also said, 'I am confident University of Liverpool's campus in Bengaluru will be a global campus that will push the boundaries of research and innovation, and foster scientific temper for contributing to global welfare and prosperity.' 'Bengaluru was natural choice' The vice chancellor emphasised that the degrees offered at the Bengaluru campus will be identical to those awarded in Liverpool, following the successful model established in China. 'To uphold these standards, the university will appoint a provost responsible for ensuring that academic and degree program quality matches exactly what is offered in Liverpool. We have total commitment to ensuring that the quality and standards are the same,' he said. The university's India campus will have a mix of faculty, both from India and the UK. 'We'll have some UK faculty teaching, but we also want to recruit local staff, which I think is really important. Over time, there will be far more local staff than UK staff, and I believe that's crucial,' Jones said. According to him, opening a campus in Bengaluru was a 'natural choice' because the University of Liverpool already has several collaborations with educational and research institutions in the city.. 'We already work with several organisations, including NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences) in Bengaluru, where we've had a 20-year partnership across various research areas that's been highly successful. More recently, we've established collaborations with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), particularly around biosciences and life sciences,' he said. 'We also appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit here, where young people want to set up their own companies—something we also encourage in Liverpool.' Additionally, the institution also has partnerships with Delhi University and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where it launched an initiative last year to tackle head and neck cancer. (Edited by Mannat Chugh) Also Read: No new 'Institute of Eminence' tags likely from Centre. How the programme has fared so far
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Govt school students in Punjab to learn Telugu during week-long ‘Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp'
CHANDIGARH: In a bid to help students acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language of their choice, other than mother tongue, the students from classes VI to X in government schools of Punjab will be learning basics Telugu language during a week-long 'Bharatiya Bhasha Summer Camp', as per a direction issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy in Union Ministry of Education. As per the instructions issued by State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to all the district educational officers, the summer camp will be held in all government schools across the state from May 26 to June 5 in which students from Classes VI to X will participate and Telugu language will be taught. "The main objective is to encourage students to learn one more Indian language of their choice, to promote multilingualism in a joyful and engaging manner, to help students experience the linguistic and cultural unity of Indian languages and to enable students to acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language of their choice other than mother tongue,'' reads the letter issued on May 23. These Telugu classes will be conducted after the half-holiday on working school days and from 8 am to 11 am during the summer vacation from May 26 to June 5. The schools have been allowed have multiple batches depending on number of students who are interested and the availability of teachers. While schools which have less than 75 students can hold this camp as a single group and others can form three groups with up to 100 students in total. The basics will include greeting, expressions, alphabets, numbers, songs and conversations, names of local heroes, freedom fighters, armed forces, fruits, cuisines, vegetables and cultural appreciation in Telugu.
