Parents save Rs 210 crore under Chhattisgarh govt's education scheme

Swami Atmanand Excellence School Scheme, a zero-cost quality education project by the Chhattisgarh government has enabled parents to save over Rs 210 crore, the officials claimed. Under the flagship scheme of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, launched on July 3, 2020, 52 schools were opened in different cities.
 
Following the response, the state government increased the number of schools to 727. Of them, 377 are English medium schools and 350 are Hindi medium schools. According to the officials, a total of 1,68,325 students are enrolled in the English medium schools while 2,04,126 are studying in the Hindi medium.  A government spokesperson said, of the 372,451 students, 120,000 have switched over from the private schools to Swami Atmanand government schools.

 
The students from both urban and rural areas have opted for the scheme in the last three years, helping parents save huge amounts.
 

“The parents of the students enrolled in the Swami Atmanand Excellence School Scheme have saved Rs 210.54 crore in the last three years that they paid to the private schools,” a statement from the state government said. This move has alleviated the financial burden on families who had to skip private schools due to high fees. The government-run schools have provided them with an excellent alternative, the statement added.
 
 While the parents who had sent their wards to English medium schools have saved around Rs 180.74 crore, the parents of students studying in Hindi medium schools saved approximately Rs 79 crore, the officials said. The Swami Atmanand Government Excellent english- and Hindi-medium schools have surpassed private schools in infrastructure and quality education, they added.

 
“The state government is continuously evaluating the scheme's progress to ensure its effectiveness,” the officials said.  The assessment revealed that high fees at private schools made it impossible for poor and middle-class families to enroll their children and had they enrolled, they would have paid around Rs 210 crore as fees, the officials said.  However, state government schools have become a vital support for these families, which are offering their children quality education without any cost, they added.
 
The school is completely funded by the Department of School Education, Government of Chhattisgarh.
 
A principal of a private school admitted that a good number of students had switched over following free education in the Atmanand Schools.