Political Uproar Over English Schools in Rajasthan
Gopendra Nath Bhatt
After the Bhajan Lal government in Rajasthan carved out nine new districts and three divisions, a political uproar has now erupted over English schools. Following the government's order to form a review committee for the Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Government Schools, politics in the state has heated up. The Congress party has turned this into a major issue, which seems likely to reverberate in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly.
The Bhajan Lal government has formed a cabinet sub-committee, headed by Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Baidwar, to review the 3,741 Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Schools established during the Gehlot government’s tenure. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has targeted the BJP government, claiming that they are determined to destroy the public school education system.
Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Tikaram Julie and former Education Minister and State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra, have accused the Bhajan Lal government of planning to close these schools. In response, Education Minister Madan Dilawar and BJP State President Madan Rathore entered the fray, with Dilawar accusing Dotasra of making baseless statements. He criticized Congress for not recruiting English teachers or providing a budget for these schools, arguing that Congress only created signage for English education without proper infrastructure or staffing.
State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra held a press conference on Saturday, questioning why the committee was not formed for an entire year. Dotasra accused the BJP of attempting to appoint RSS-affiliated teachers in these schools, claiming that their intentions were not in the best interest of the students.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also took to social media, criticizing the BJP government for "playing with children's futures." He pointed out the lack of uniforms, sweaters, and shoes for children in government schools and claimed that the review of English medium schools was influenced by the pressure of private English medium schools. He suggested that the government should focus on improving these schools instead of dismantling them.
Notably, the BJP had opposed the establishment of these English medium schools while in opposition, criticizing the conversion of several Hindi medium schools into English medium ones, which they claimed created difficulties for both students and teachers.
It remains to be seen whether the political debate over the English schools will continue in the upcoming legislative session, or if the discussion will rise above politics and focus on serious educational reforms.
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