The Gujarat Education Department has ignited a fresh controversy with its latest policy that ties financial grants for government-aided schools directly to student attendance figures. School managements across the state are up in arms, vehemently opposing the move and warning that it could lead to widespread malpractice and even force smaller institutions to shut down.
What Does the New Policy Mandate?
Under the newly introduced framework, grants to aided schools will no longer be disbursed uniformly. Instead, they will be calculated based on the average attendance of students. To qualify for a full 100 per cent grant, urban aided schools must maintain an average student attendance of more than 80 per cent. For schools located in rural areas, the benchmark is set at over 55 per cent attendance.
The policy outlines a graded reduction system. If a school's attendance falls below these specified thresholds, its grant will be cut in four progressive stages. This marks a significant shift from the previous system where grants were assured, placing a new operational and financial burden on school administrations.
Why Are School Managements Opposing It?
Representatives of aided school managements have launched strong criticisms against the attendance-linked grant model. Their primary concern is that, unlike board exam results, attendance records are directly maintained by the schools themselves. This, they argue, creates a clear incentive for institutions to artificially inflate their attendance numbers to avoid severe financial penalties.
Managements contend that this policy may unintentionally promote false reporting rather than genuinely improving student participation. They highlight the particular vulnerability of single-section aided schools, where maintaining consistently high attendance is a formidable challenge due to smaller student pools. The fear is that the policy could push many such smaller institutions, which are already financially strained, towards permanent closure.
A Repeat of Past Controversies
This is not the first time the Gujarat Education Department has attempted to link grants to performance metrics. In 2013, it implemented a result-based grant policy that tied funding to the performance of students in Class 10 and 12 board examinations. That policy faced sustained opposition for years, with school managements arguing they had limited control over academic outcomes.
After prolonged protests and representations, the education department finally scrapped the result-based policy in 2023 and restored the system of 100 per cent grants. However, after barely two years, the department has now introduced the attendance-based framework, which opponents see as a similarly flawed approach.
School operators point out a critical difference: while exam results were externally verified and difficult to manipulate, attendance registers are internally managed, making them susceptible to misuse under financial pressure.
Mounting Demands for a Rollback
As opposition gathers momentum, there are growing calls for the state government to reconsider or completely withdraw the new policy. The appeals cite the dual risks of potential school closures and serious ethical concerns regarding data integrity. Stakeholders are urging the government to engage in consultations before enforcing a policy that could destabilize the aided school ecosystem in Gujarat.
The debate underscores the ongoing tension between the government's desire for accountability and the practical realities faced by educational institutions on the ground.
