The Gujarat government will roll out its flagship school enrolment campaign, Shala Praveshotsav, from June 26-28, following a key Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Tuesday. Aimed at encouraging school admissions and reducing dropout rates, the initiative will span all government primary schools, grant-in-aid secondary and higher secondary institutions, as well as Gyanshakti Residential Schools and Raksha Shakti Schools across the state.
Chief Minister Patel is scheduled to visit three districts during the campaign&mdash;Mahisagar on June 26, Gandhinagar on June 27, and Kutch on June 28.
According to government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel, nearly 400 officials, including ministers and public representatives, have been assigned to participate. Each will visit one primary and two secondary or higher secondary schools per day.&nbsp;
In areas with limited secondary school options, visits will extend to nearby Gyanshakti and Raksha Shakti institutions within the same taluka to ensure complete coverage.
This year&rsquo;s campaign will focus on admissions for Anganwadi centres, Balvatikas, and Classes 1, 9, and 11. A detailed visitation itinerary has already been finalised for all participating dignitaries and administrative officers.
The education department has integrated its Child Tracking System (CTS) with the Health Department&rsquo;s birth and immunisation data to streamline enrolment processes. This system has been operational for Class 1 admissions since 2019&ndash;20 and was expanded to Balvatika admissions in 2023&ndash;24, helping improve outreach to children from migrant families.
In preparation for the drive, authorities have surveyed 8.75 lakh children eligible for Balvatika, 10.50 lakh for Class 9, and 4.50 lakh for Class 11. Artificial Intelligence tools through the Vidya Samiksha Kendra will be used to identify students at high risk of dropping out. These students and their parents will be invited to the Shala Praveshotsav, where the emphasis will be on the long-term benefits of education.
Rushikesh Patel noted the historical impact of the initiative. &ldquo;As a result of the successful implementation of the School Entrance Festival, the dropout rate has reduced remarkably. In 2001&ndash;02, it was recorded at 20.50% for Classes 1 to 5, and 37.22% for Classes 1 to 8. In 2023&ndash;24, those figures dropped to 1.07% and 2.42% respectively.&rdquo;
Dropout rates and systemic gaps undermine progress
Despite the success in early-grade retention, dropout rates in secondary and higher secondary levels remain a major concern. In November last year, the Education Department&rsquo;s data revealed a 23.28% dropout rate among students in Classes 9 and 10. For Classes 11 and 12, the figure stands at 6.19%. Comparatively, Classes 1 to 5 and 6 to 8 fare better, with dropout rates at 1.17% and 2.68% respectively.
District-wise figures highlight disparities. Botad district recorded the highest dropout rate in Classes 9 and 10 at 35.45%, while Rajkot Municipality reported the lowest at 8.53%. Ahmedabad district alone has over one lakh children who are either untraceable or have dropped out. Within the district, dropout rates stand at 1.06% for Classes 1 to 5, 1.34% for Classes 6 to 8, 22.44% for Classes 9 and 10, and 6.25% for Classes 11 and 12.&nbsp;
Ahmedabad Municipality shows relatively better numbers, though dropout in Classes 9 and 10 remains high at 18.68%.
Gender disparities are also evident. Boys in Classes 9 and 10 have a dropout rate of 24.97%, compared to 21.24% among girls. In Classes 11 and 12, 7.06% of boys leave school, while the rate for girls is 5.13%.
The state government has acknowledged the scale of the problem and mandated district-level surveys to identify and address the educational needs of children who have dropped out or are involved in street activities or begging. Nodal officers were appointed in each district to oversee these efforts, with a preliminary survey completed by November 31.
Further complicating the education scenario is Gujarat&rsquo;s relatively low transition to higher education. As per the All India Higher Education Survey 2021&ndash;22, only 24 out of every 100 students who complete school continue into higher education.&nbsp;
Gujarat ranks 18th nationally, behind states like Delhi (49%), Tamil Nadu (47%), and Himachal Pradesh (43.1%). For boys in Gujarat, the higher education participation rate is 25.2%, while for girls, it is 22.7%. Among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the rates stand at 32.3% and 20.4% respectively.
The situation appears paradoxical, given the government&rsquo;s long-standing Shala Praveshotsav initiative. The 2024 Sustainable Development Report by NITI Aayog rated Gujarat poorly in education, awarding it an SDG index score of 58&mdash;well below Kerala (82), Haryana (77), and Himachal Pradesh (77).&nbsp;
The net enrolment rate for Classes 1 to 8 in Gujarat is 89%, compared to 100% in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and 96.9% in Andhra Pradesh. The state&rsquo;s higher secondary enrolment rate is 48.2%, much lower than Kerala&rsquo;s 85% and Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s 81%.
The same report noted that although 99.93% of Gujarat&rsquo;s schools have basic facilities like electricity and drinking water, and 98% are equipped with computers, underlying structural issues remain.&nbsp;
In February 2024, the Gujarat government informed the legislative assembly that 1,606 government primary schools were functioning with only one teacher&mdash;a sharp increase from 700 such schools in 2022.
Voicing concern over the broader context, former economics professor Hemant Shah said, &ldquo;Ideally, the overall budget for education should be 6% of the GDP.&rdquo; He added that dropping out remains a widespread issue across primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels, attributing the low college enrolment to high tuition costs, lack of faculty, and poor infrastructure in public institutions.
Speaking to Benefit News, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi raised similar concerns, stating, &ldquo;There should be a good number of government and grant-in-aid schools and that is not happening.&rdquo;&nbsp;
He pointed to the mismatch between graduate output and employment, remarking, &ldquo;Even after spending Rs 3 lakh to become a graduate, there is no guarantee of getting a job paying Rs 30,000 a month.&rdquo;
Shala Praveshotsav...just an event? 
Academics and educators have also weighed in on the initiative. Himanshu Parcha, a professor based in Gandhinagar, emphasised the need for stronger implementation of the National Education Policy 2020, noting, &ldquo;There must be a link between the initiative and what is happening on the ground.&rdquo; He added that poor infrastructure, shortage of human resources, and lack of community awareness were key reasons behind persistent dropout rates.
Surat-based schoolteacher Ami Naik highlighted that such initiatives help boost student interest in areas like skill development and start-ups. However, she stressed that without better lab management, curriculum reforms, and timely teacher appointments, long-term benefits would be limited. She observed, &ldquo;Just building labs and other advanced amenities is not enough. Teachers must be motivated too.&rdquo;
In Amreli, schoolteacher Harshit Trivedi expressed optimism about the campaign's potential. &ldquo;The Shala Praveshotsav will encourage students to get admission in schools and also help in higher grades,&rdquo; he said. Trivedi cited a 100% positive response rate in the Amreli district, while also underlining the importance of parental awareness. &ldquo;Government schools in Gujarat are as good as private ones. There is a need for people to understand this.&rdquo;
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(Left) CM Bhupendra Patel and class full of students (Representational Image)

Educators call for lasting reforms as the initiative to begin on June 26 across Gujarat.

'Shala Praveshotsav' to Tackle Enrolment Gaps

Educators call for lasting reforms as the initiative to begin on June 26 across Gujarat.

June 25, 2025 | 21:23 IST