Gandhinagar, June 30 (IANS) There has been a substantial decline in school dropout rates in Gujarat over the past two decades, and the credit for this goes to two flagship schemes of the Gujarat government, namely ‘Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav’.

The announcement was made by Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel during the three-day education festival organised to boost student enrollment and raise awareness about education.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the event at the historic B.N. High School in Vadnagar and facilitated the enrollment of students from classes 1 to 11.

Speaking on the occasion, he noted that this campaign, launched 24 years ago, has proven highly successful in motivating children to pursue education and reducing school dropout rates.

Notably, Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav are annual, three-day school enrolment and mass education campaigns in Gujarat, originally initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2003. The campaign aimed to achieve 100 per cent student enrollment and reduce dropout rates, with a heavy focus on girls’ education.

Gujarat CM further said, “Thanks to the ‘Kanya Kelavani’ and ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ initiative, we have benefited in two ways regarding the dropout issue – firstly, we have achieved 100 per cent student enrollment, and secondly, the post-enrollment dropout rate has fallen to less than one per cent. This is a tremendous success for this initiative launched by our Prime Minister.”

The children who got enrolled in schools under the ‘Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav’ appeared visibly excited.

A couple of students said that they were looking forward to making new friends and engaging in learning activities.

Jiya Parmar, a student from Ahmedabad, said, “We receive books and uniforms from our school. Today, the ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ [School Enrollment Festival] was held at our school; this event is wonderful for us, and we get to learn so much.”

Sonakshi, a student from Vadodara, said, “I really love the first day of school. It is special because we get new books, shoes, and socks, and we also get a chance to talk to our teacher after the holidays; that is why I enjoy the first day of school so much.”

Parents also appreciated the government initiative, noting that it not only strengthens children’s foundations but also brightens their futures.

“There is great enthusiasm among the children due to the government’s ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ and ‘Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav’. This encourages them to study and succeed, enabling them to lead a fulfilling life in the future,” Narendrabhai Barot, a parent from Vadodara, said.

“Boys and girls receive basic amenities here, such as books, art supplies, school bags, and water bottles. Focus is placed on core subjects, and upon joining the school, they also receive an education integrated with technology,” Ashish Prajapati, another parent from Ahmedabad, stated.

Notably, grand events are organised across every district and taluka of the state as part of the ‘Shala Praveshotsav’ and ‘Kanya Kelavani Mahotsav’. This year, a target was set to enrol over 2.85 million (28.58 lakh) children across 38,400 government schools in the state, covering admissions into Balvatika, Class 1, Class 9, and Class 11.

Rohit Chaudhary, District Education Officer of Ahmedabad, said, “The primary objective is to ensure that no child is deprived of education, and this has evolved into a mass movement involving the entire community. Officials are visiting homes to facilitate 100 per cent student enrollment across key transitions—from Balvatika to Class 1, Class 5 to 6, Class 8 to 9, and Class 10 to 11.”

–IANS

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