Nagpur: An RTI response has unveiled a concerning trend in Nagpur’s education system. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has been forced to close 41 of its schools over the past five years due to a drastic decline in student enrollment. This decline underscores a growing shift in educational preferences, as more parents are choosing English medium schools over the NMC-run Marathi, Hindi, and Urdu medium institutions.
According to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query by activist Abhay Kolarkar, the NMC managed a total of 124 schools for the 2023-24 academic year, including 96 primary and 28 secondary institutions. However, only 14,216 students are currently enrolled across these schools, with 646 teachers on staff.
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Saturday 23 Nov. 2024
The RTI reply said that the preference for English medium education has led to a steep decline in enrolment at the NMC’s non-English medium schools, impacting their viability. Of the 124 schools operated by the civic body, only eight offer English medium instruction, including seven primary and one secondary school, which are reportedly in high demand.
A review of enrolment data shows varied trends for primary and secondary schools over the past five years. For primary schools, enrolment figures saw a notable increase to 8,209 students in 2019-20. There was a modest 4.45% rise in 2020-21, which was further boosted by a 5.98% in 2021-22. However, the trend reversed in 2022-23 with a 2.76% decrease, and this decline increased to 4.63% in 2023-24.
In contrast, secondary schools have experienced a more consistent decline in enrolment. Starting with 7,141 students in 2019-20, there was a sharp 10.50% decrease in 2020-21. This was followed by a smaller 2.91% decline in 2021-22, but the drop accelerated to 6.54% in 2022-23.
The trend continued into 2023-24 with a marginal 0.17% decrease. This steady decline highlights the growing trend of students moving towards alternative education options, contributing to the increasing number of school closures.
The fall in student strength also led to a reduction in the teaching staff. The RTI response indicates that the number of teachers in primary schools dropped from 856 in 2019-20 to 495 in 2023-24. Similarly, the number of teachers in secondary schools decreased from 273 to 151 over the same period.
Despite the growing demand and craze for English medium education in the city, the civic body has not shown interest in converting its closing Marathi medium schools to English medium institutions, which has led to the closures.
