India, May 30 -- In 2015, the Allahabad high court had directed the state government to ensure that the children of bureaucrats, elected representatives and members of the judiciary, or any other person receiving benefits or salary from the state exchequer, study in government schools. The court had ruled that the order become operational from the next academic session. Taking note of the dismal condition of government schools, Justice Sudhir Agarwal had advised the government to lay down penalty provisions for those violating the order. It became a hot topic of discussion in the corridors of power as a majority of officials sent their kids to public schools. Later, in 2018, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court in which the petitioner alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government had failed to implement the 2015 high court order. The petitioner had contended that the non-compliance with the high court order was affecting the interest of the children as primary schools run by the basic education board were victims of mal-administration and corruption and, thus, the interest of the common man was suffering. In 2018, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had asked government teachers to send their children to government schools as it would instill confidence in others to follow suit. He had said that they were seeding doubts in their own capabilities by sending their kids to private schools. The intent of all the orders was to highlight and improve the quality of government schools in the state, perhaps, on the presumption that teaching standards in the schools would improve if the teachers or the officials sent their wards there. A decade later, however, the schools continue to remain low in demand. At a recent meeting convened by the education ministry with representatives of 33 states and Union Territories, an alarming drop in enrolment in government schools in 2024-25 was noticed. Five states topped the list of states with a decline of over one lakh admissions. The states were: Uttar Pradesh with a drop of 21.83 lakh followed by Bihar (6.14 lakh), Rajasthan (5.63 lakh), Karnataka (2.15 lakh) and West Bengal (4.01 lakh). The states were asked to take immediate remedial steps even though several reasons were cited to explain the data including data corrections (removal of fake or duplicate entries) and the timing of the survey as the data feeding for the year 2025-26 would start from July. It was also pointed out that students who had withdrawn from schools due to Covid returned in 2022-23 leading to high enrolments. Significantly, there was also a meal coverage drop under the flagship scheme Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme, renamed as Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti, launched in the mid-1990s with the twin purpose of attracting students to schools and elevating their nutrition levels. The scheme had earlier increased the admission and attendance numbers at schools. Perhaps, only a few maybe aware that the MDM was first implemented in Chennai (then Madras) in 1920, providing tiffin to students, as reported by media. Later, chief minister K Kamraj had taken it forward by starting a free-meal scheme in all government schools. Ironically, the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2024 did not paint such a dismal picture as they found 80% enrolment in the pre-primary section. Their survey also found the enrolment numbers remaining stable in elementary schools and not decreasing in the older children category. Officials here point out the methodology while admitting that the education ministry's concern was genuine. Earlier, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had cited the dismal condition of schools as the main reason for the drop in enrolment while also criticising the closure of madrasas. She had said government schools and madrasas were the only option for the poor to access affordable education. Thus, the moot question is: What is the reason behind the drop in government school enrolments in an aspirational India in which poorest of the poor parents are keen to get their children educated? The most common answer seems to be: "we want our children to study though we could not". Lalita Pradeeep, who has been part of the system as former additional director, state education, explained: "While entitlements like mid-day meals and free uniforms play a vital role in drawing students to government schools, the sustained enrolment and retention often hinge on the presence of committed and inspiring teachers. Quality teaching not only nurtures learning but also fosters trust in the public education system, making it a cornerstone of long-term educational engagement." Urvashi Sahni, founder director of Study Hall Educational Foundation, was also a member of CM's advisory council on education reforms in Rajasthan during Vasundhara Raje's tenure. "We need to ensure that our schools are sufficiently and appropriately staffed and that the infrastructure is in good condition. Once these ground conditions are in place, then teachers need to be held accountable for learning outcomes. Teachers can be supported with the latest pedagogies via technology. Technologically supported systems can be used to ensure teacher accountability as well. Most importantly, the government should demonstrate a strong political will to improve the quality of their schools. That combined with executive efficiency will result in high performing schools," Sahni said. However, parents, despite the hardship they face in paying the fees of private schools, want their children to study in English medium. They link the knowledge of English with employment and status in society. The government will have to come out of its cultural hypocrisy and convert their schools into English medium. After all, policy makers send their kids to convent schools and, in fact, want them to know as many languages as possible. Initially, the state government did announce the opening a few English medium schools but without appointing adequate teachers. While the infrastructure has improved in several government schools, they continue to lose the perception battle as there is no projection of achievements of their students and teachers. The government may like to launch a drive to change the perception about government schools by projecting achievements of their students in different fields. Teachers too need to be part of the overhaul of government schools. Sometimes, their initiatives like mobilising local resources for construction, say, of a school boundary wall invite probes and disciplinary action. This is unlike in convent schools, many of which allow their alumnus to support their alma mater in the form of library, books and computers. Importantly, the education sector has to be prioritised and a larger budget allocated to it. There are 1.33 lakh schools (Class 1-8) and another 3049 are government-aided in which the respective strength of students is 1.48 crore and 4.28 lakh in UP. At the secondary level, there are about 3500 government schools for Class 10 and 12 while 8697 are aided. The state's annual budget (for education) in 2024-25 was Rs 85,726 crore....