Anand: For over two decades, Gujarat has been at the forefront of innovative education initiatives, aimed at ensuring that every child in the state receives a good education. This is made possible through the implementation of the "Right to Education Act" (RTE) across the state, which allows children from poor-middle families to receive a free education in private schools without paying any fees. The state government pays for the education of all these children.
Markand Parekh, a resident of Vidyanagar in Anand district, is one such beneficiary of the RTE. He speaks emotionally about the admission of his son Amrish to the prestigious Anandalaya School, where children of doctors, engineers, and big industrialists study. He never dreamed that his son would be able to attend such a school under the government's RTE. The school fee for the first standard is 55 thousand rupees, but the government pays for Amrish's education, and he is treated no differently from any other student in the school.
In-charge Principal of Anandalaya School, Shri Tejas Desai, confirms that 95 children are currently studying under RTE in different classes of the school, with 20 to 25 children admitted each year from the government. The school works closely with parents to ensure that these children receive equal education opportunities and participate in all school activities. The result is that RTE students and regular students are developing equally.
Over the past two decades, Anand has become a hub of education, attracting students from across India and abroad. The district's children from middle-poor families now have the opportunity to study in the same schools as the children of financially capable families, bringing the government's concept of equal, balanced, and well-rounded education for the holistic development of every child to life.
