UP CM launches second phase of 'School Chalo Abhiyan' from Saharanpur, targets 100 pc enrollment

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday launched the second phase of the statewide 'School Chalo Abhiyan' from here. Addressing the gathering, the chief minister appealed to parents to send their children to school. "Education is the strongest foundation of an individual, society and the nation. Quality education shapes responsible and cultured citizens and shows them the right path. It also produces capable social workers, teachers, principals, public representatives, officers, entrepreneurs, engineers, doctors and judicial officers," he said.

The country's future generations, regardless of the field they choose, would be able to contribute effectively to nation-building with confidence if they received quality education, he added. The chief minister said that in 2017, under the guidance and inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government launched the School Chalo Abhiyan.

"Our intentions were clear, and the results were encouraging. The government's policy for improving education was well-defined, and we were committed to ensuring that every child benefited from government schemes without any discrimination," he said. He said that in 2017, only 36 per cent of schools under the Basic Education Council met the required standards, with many lacking basic facilities such as toilets, drinking water, furniture, libraries, electricity and proper mid-day meal arrangements.

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To address these shortcomings, the government launched Operation Kayakalp, appealing to public representatives, entrepreneurs and officials to help upgrade Basic Education Council schools and achieve full saturation on fixed parameters. The chief minister said the government resolved to provide separate toilets for boys and girls in every school, safe drinking water, a fixed daily mid-day meal menu, smart classrooms, digital libraries, and free uniforms, school bags and textbooks for every student. Efforts were also made to improve the student-teacher ratio through a dedicated campaign, he added.

"As a result, the saturation level of Basic Education Council schools increased from 36 per cent to more than 96 per cent within five years. Every child began receiving school bags, books, shoes, socks, sweaters and uniforms, leading to a significant rise in enrolment," he said. He added that over the past nine years, enrollment in Basic Education Council schools had increased by more than six million students, while the dropout rate had declined from 19-20 per cent to just 3-4 per cent.

The chief minister said that for a healthy society, it was essential that no child remained out of school. "If even one child is deprived of education, it is not just a loss for the family but also for society and the nation. These children will become future leaders in different fields. If a child remains uneducated, it will cause an irreparable loss to society and the nation and may lead them astray. We must build a generation that can fulfil its responsibilities as committed citizens of the nation," he said.

The campaign aims to ensure 100 per cent enrollment in schools in the new academic session, he said. As part of the government's strategy to promote education and development together, the programme will focus on bringing out-of-school children into the mainstream education system, the officials said. After launching the second phase of the programme from the CM Model Composite School at Ismailpur village in Saharanpur, he distributed textbooks, school bags, and stationery items to children for the new academic session, they said.

The district's best-performing headmasters were also honoured at the launch event. The first phase of the campaign was carried out across the state between April 1 and 15. In the second phase, special emphasis will be placed on identifying out-of-school children, enrolling them in schools, bringing back dropout students, creating awareness among parents, and ensuring the active participation of public representatives, school management committees and the local communities. The campaign aims to connect every eligible child with school and provide access to quality education, the officials said.