TRIPUNITHURA: The four government schools in the heart of town were much sought after by parents till two decades ago. However, the mushrooming of CBSE schools is posing a threat to them. More so when the UDF Government has decided to offer No Objection Certificates to more CBSE schools. Many past students of the Government Boys High School, that has the biggest campus in town, are celebrities now. The plight of this school and the Government Sanskrit High school, the Government Girls High School and the Government Palace Girls High School are pathetic. The four schools are making strategies to make the campus more welcoming. The Government Palace Girls High School opened its doors to boys and was renamed Government Palace High School. You you can see a banner in front of the school inviting students for both English and Malayalam medium classes.For the past three years the Government Boys School has been attaining cent percent victory in SSLC examinations.“Both the PTA and various public sector establishents like BPCL and private institutions are trying their best to improve the teaching standard of the school,” said Shobhana, headmistress of the school. Various extracurricular activities have also been planned.The teachers are stretching class hours to offer more help to students. Special coaching is being given to weak students. Noon meal scheme, special offers of books and uniform are added attractions. However the school is now facing a threat from the BEd College functioning temporarily in a portion of the school. The English medium wing of the Government Girls High School is faring better.With regard to fees unaided CBSE schools collect anywhere between `4,000 and `6,000 as term fees from the KG section onwards. Some schools with good facilities collect more than `10,000 for each term. “As some parents can’t afford the hefty fees rejuvenation of the government schools can provide value-based education to our wards,” said a parent. But the education department is all set to support expensive educational institutions.“Another interesting fact is that all the education marketing outlets are run by ‘charitable institutions’ headed either by a guru or by other religious groups,” he said. Even big corporate giants are planning to invest crores of rupees in the education business. There are fears that this trend may hit the general education system prevailing in the state. In such a situation the educational dreams of students from the financially backward section of society will be shattered. Certainly the right to free and fair education for all the children in India will remain a question, he said.
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