Children of VIPs skip government schools to avoid load: Shivraj

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said the load on state-run schools will go up if the children of politicians and government officers study there.

Chouhan was speaking at a "Meet the Press" programme, held on completion of 11 years of his rule.

As he talked of his government's achievements in public health and education, a reporter asked why the children of politicians and officers do not study in government schools or go to government hospitals.

In response, the Chief Minister said: "If they (children of politicians and officers) study there (government schools), the load on these schools will further increase."

Apparently realising he had made a slip, he quickly added: "We will try to find ways to improve the quality of education in government-run schools keeping your observation in mind."

The children of several officers and politicians in Madhya Pradesh study either outside the state or abroad.

Also, most go to costly private hospitals for treatment instead of visiting any government hospital. Some are said to never opt for treatment within the state.

Although the Chief Minister denied that a large number of government schools have no teachers, he accepted that some had just one teacher each.

--IANS

hindi-nir/mr