Vijayawada: A series of reforms in the government educational institutions is posing a challenge to private and corporate schools in the city. Introducing teaching in English medium in municipal schools, smart and e-learning classrooms and other amenities have helped government schools strengthen themselves. With many of the parents showing inclination to admit their wards in government schools, 20 private schools are on the verge of closure.
The government’s recent decision on transforming anganwadi centres into pre-schools, equipped with toys and play equipment, is also having an impact on the private institutions. The corporate and private schools rose to prominence from late 1980s following the failure of government schools in imparting quality education. Teac-hing in English medium, result-oriented courses and top grades promoted private schools in a big way and many government schools, which are decades-old, relegated to obscurity due to lack of admissions.
Taking advantage of the situation, the private managements looted the parents by collecting heavy tuition fee and some students even committed suicides unable to bear the stress of academic curriculum. Finally, the state government decided to revive the government institutions and reform them on par with the private schools. The slew of reforms had catapulted the government schools into prominence and parents who were burdened paying exorbitant fee in corporate and private schools began preferring government schools. “The tuition fee was very heavy in the private school and so I joined my children in STVR Municipal School and they are doing good. Their skills have improved and I am happy paying the nominal fee,” said K. Satyanarayana Murthy, an employee.
Around 20 private schools in the city are on the verge of closure in the city due to poor admissions. “English medium curriculum and introduction of smart classes is yielding positive results. The strength in municipal schools has increased by 20 per cent this year and we still have to take steps to develop amenities,” said Vijayawada Municipal Corporation deputy educational officer K. Durga Prasad. The managements of corporate schools which collect a fee of Rs 30,000 for kindergarten students are worried over how long their institutions would survive in competition with the government schools and anganwadi centres.
