Jaipur: In a bid to boost school admissions, the Rajasthan education department launched a statewide enrolment drive, resulting in over 5.5 lakh new students registered in govt schools as the academic session commenced on April 1 this year.This drive aims to ensure that every child of school-going age is enrolled.According to the education department records till April 22, a total of 5,54,088 students, including 2,69,526 boys and 2,84,530 girls, were admitted to schools. Last year, 15.44 lakh fresh admissions took place in govt schools between July and Sept.This year, education officials conducted door-to-door surveys to identify potential students and encourage enrolment. The first phase of the survey was conducted in four parts, starting from March 25, then April 6, 10 and 15. Officials said that these numbers will increase when the second phase of the enrolment drive starts from May 4 to July 4. In the first phase, 3,42,274 students were identified as out of school, of whom 14,777 were students (between classes 3 and 9) who dropped out of school.Officials said that the comprehensive reforms implemented in govt schools over the past few years, like buildings equipped with facilities like smart classrooms, ICT labs, digital libraries, sports facilities and activity-based learning methodologies, among others, have helped transform their image and increase enrolment this year.Notably, some remote villages reported enrolment numbers exceeding their total population, exemplified by Soliya village in Chittorgarh district, which saw 105 students enrolled despite having only 67 residents.“Of these, only 10 children hail from Soliya village itself, while the remaining 95 students walk to school daily from Amli and surrounding villages in the neighbouring Bhilwara district. This stands as a living testament to trust and quality education. The school records a daily attendance rate exceeding 85%, which shows students’ keen interest in learning,” said a senior official from the education department.
