Government schools are the state sponsored schools, found all across the world. Every country has a different system of government schools the common feature however is that they are totally or partially financed by the taxes paid by the public. Another common feature is the zero fees.
World Scenario for Government Schools
World over; governments take up the responsibility of educating the masses. The primary and secondary education is provided by the state. Often the higher education is also provided by the government. Europe and United States have a very good network of state sponsored schools with very good resources.
There are few private schools also but the difference between the quality of education between the two is minimal. In Europe the private schools or the international schools cater to the demands of the expat population for English education since the government schools follow the curriculum in the national languages.
In China the government schools provide majority of the education. However, the education is very competitive and some schools charge fees that reflect their quality.
Government schools in India
Like most other countries the government schools in India are sponsored wholly or partly by the state and provide primary and secondary education for no fee.
In recent times these schools are showing an improvement in the infrastructure, the buildings, equipment, playgrounds etc. but this is minimally reflected in the educational performance.
The mid-day meal program is attracting more enrolments, especially in the weaker sections of the society which leads to good statistics for literacy.
Government schools also double up as polling stations or other centres for the government programs.
Government schools can attract good teachers because of the government controlled pay scales and the retirement benefits that are unavailable to the teachers in private schools but in reality the work culture being bureaucratic it discourages good teachers.
Conclusion
Government schools in India have a good potential especially given their reach but have yet to utilise this potential.
By Janhavi
EdgeArticles 