Shala Praveshotsav : This primary school in Surat has no permanent teachers!

Surat, Gujarat : As the Gujarat Government celebrates the launch of its state-wide ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ (School Enrollment) campaign, a startling revelation has emerged from Surat, the constituency of State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya. A primary school in the diamond city, run by the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), has been found operating without a single permanent teacher, casting doubts on the government’s educational claims.

In a surprising twist to Gujarat’s ambitious ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ campaign, the AAP team members visited a primary school in Surat, the constituency of State Education Minister Praful Pansheriya, and posted the video online about the sorry-state-of-affairs during the ongoing ‘Shalal Praveshotsav’ campaign by the State Goverment in Gujarat. 

The Nagar Prathamik Shikshan Samiti (NPSS) primary school in Khadsad, Surat was found to be functioning without any permanent teachers during a surprise inspection by councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The inspection revealed that students from standards 1st to 5th are crammed into a single classroom, raising concerns about the quality of education.

The AAP’s state general secretary, Rakesh Hirpara, led the inspection team and exposed what he describes as the false claims of the Gujarat government’s education policy. Hirpara’s team discovered that the NPSS primary school relies on one temporary teacher and another traveling teacher from a school 20 kilometers away. This situation leaves the school without stable leadership and consistent teaching staff, undermining the educational experience of the students.

Hirpara criticized the state government, highlighting the disparity between its claims of investing Rs 40,000 per student and the actual conditions at the Khadsad school. “Despite the expenditure claims, the ground reality is starkly different. This school operates with zero permanent teachers, and students from different grades are forced to sit in a single room,” he stated in a viral video shared on social media.

The video has sparked widespread attention and debate, with many questioning the effectiveness of the ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ campaign and the broader state education policy. Hirpara pointed out the irony of the Education Minister Praful Pansheriya’s frequent travels across the state while neglecting the schools in his own constituency. “The Education Minister should at least improve the schools in his area,” Hirpara urged.