A recent survey report, named “Status of Education in Mumbai”, conducted by non-profit organisation Praja Foundation, has revealed that257 schools under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been shut down in the last 10 years and the enrolment rate in the schools has reduced by 59% from 67,477 in 2009-2010 to 27,918in 2018-2019 during the same. Data also showed that most of the schools closed in the academic year 2016-2017.
In 2018, particularly, the highest number of schools (41), according to the State of Municipal Education in Mumbai, were shut down. While 90.5% was the retention rate in BMC schools during 2010-2011, it has come down to 22.3% in 2018-2019, Nitai Mehta, Managing Trustee of the Praja Foundation stated. Data also suggested that only 22 students out of every 100 students who took admission in Class 1in BMC schools, continued in the same school till Class 10.
From the academic year 2008-2009 to 2017-2018, a total of 229 schools were closed or merged, in which the highest number of schools (111) were Marathi medium. This list was followed by Gujarati medium, Tamil medium, Telugu medium and Kannada medium schools (91). The survey found out that 35% of the BMC schools had less than 100 students and there has been a steady 10% overall dropout rate from such schools. The report suggested that there was a fall by 24% in overall enrolments in BMC schools in the last five years, while Mumbai Public Schools have an enrolment rise by 14% from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
Another survey carried out by the Hansa Research found out that 87% of parents prefer private schools over BMC schools due to better health facilities, clean toilets, stationary and first aid.
