Tamil Nadu government today expressed 'concern' over decrease in enrolment in government schools and expressed hope to reverse the trend with the help of a slew of measures.
School Education Minister Vaigaichelvan said the enrolment trend in government schools in primary and upper primary levels had dropped in 2012-13 compared to the previous year.
Primary level enrolment was 37.75 per cent in 2011-12 which dropped to 36.58 per cent last year, even as enrolment in private schools grew from 42.92 per cent to 45.40 per cent during the same period.
Enrolment trends in upper primary level also showed a similar picture, with private schools seeing a near three per cent jump in 2012-13 at 28.50 while it was 45.03 for government schools against 46.36 per cent in the previous year.
"It is of concern to the government that there is a decrease in enrolment in government schools and the shift is in favour of private schools," he told the state assembly.
With Chief Minister Jayalalithaa apprised of the situation, government had announced a series of measures including providing notebooks, four sets of uniforms, school bags, crayons, colour pencils, atlas, geometry box and footwear, he said.
Further, introduction of English medium in the government schools in the academic year 2012-13 was also mooted with the measure being implemented in 10 schools in each education district, providing 640 english medium sections, he said.
He expressed confidence that implementation of such schemes in rural areas will attract more students to government schools.
Further, an internal study aimed at students of classes I-VIII has revealed that students were performing "best in Tamil, better in Mathematics and not so good in English.
