Bhopal:
The Madhya Pradesh budget was presented on Wednesday, with education receiving a 4% boost in allocation, now accounting for 11.26% of the total budget. On paper, this appears to be a positive step. However, on the ground, classrooms are becoming emptier, and the number of students is steadily declining. The statistics reveal a paradox: more funding, but fewer learners.
Under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan—a program aimed at integrating vocational education with general academic teaching—an annual action plan of ₹7,134.7 crore was approved for Madhya Pradesh. Data up to November 30, 2024, shows that while ₹5,341.8 crore was approved for elementary education, only ₹2,457 crore was made available, and ₹2,262.32 crore was spent.
For secondary education, ₹1,679.8 crore was approved, but only ₹749 crore was made available, with ₹641.49 crore spent. In the case of teacher education, ₹113.1 crore was approved, ₹41.3 crore was made available, and a mere ₹18.12 crore was spent.
Overall, out of the total ₹7,134.7 crore, the received amount was ₹3,247.2 crore, and only ₹2,921.93 crore was utilized, according to the economic survey.
Vanishing Students: Where Are They Going?
A more alarming trend is the consistent decline in student enrollment across all levels of government schools. At the primary level (Classes 1 to 5), enrollment dropped from 73.21 lakh in 2021-22 to 66 lakh in 2023-24. In middle school (Classes 6 to 8), enrollment decreased from 42 lakh in 2021-22 to 39.38 lakh in 2023-24. For secondary education (Classes 9 and 10), enrollment fell from 21.97 lakh in 2021-22 to 21.32 lakh in 2023-24. At the higher secondary level (Classes 11 and 12), enrollment declined from 16.49 lakh in 2021-22 to 13.8 lakh in 2023-24.
Additionally, the ratio of girls to boys across all classes has also been steadily decreasing, as per the economic survey data.
During the Assembly session on Tuesday, Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh highlighted another critical issue: 70,000 teacher positions remain vacant across the state’s schools. “If classrooms lack educators, how can learning thrive?” Mr. Singh questioned.
In response, Minister Vishwas Sarang argued that opposition members were making statements outside the scope of the Governor’s address. The discussion escalated into a heated debate, with ruling party members supporting Mr. Sarang and Congress MLAs staging protests.
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