A new campaign by India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is drawing attention to the dilapidated state of government-run schools, particularly in rural areas, and urging authorities to address the widespread issues of poor infrastructure and underfunding.
The CJP's #SchoolThikKaro, which translates to #FixTheSchool, campaign focuses on the crumbling buildings, unusable facilities, and lack of basic amenities in many government educational institutions. Social worker Satpal Narwat described a primary school for girls in Faridabad, near Delhi, where plaster falls from the ceiling, four of eight toilets are unusable and filled with trash, and four of nine classrooms have been abandoned due to safety concerns. During the rainy season, these abandoned classrooms flood, leaving students with nowhere to sit.
This situation is not unique to one school. Many schools across India, especially in rural settings, suffer from severe underfunding and disrepair. India allocates approximately 4.1% of its GDP to education, which meets UNESCO's minimum threshold but falls short of the 6% recommended by experts and the Indian government's own National Education Policy. Several developed nations, including France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, and the U.S., allocate over 5% of their GDP to education, with countries like Belgium and Sweden spending even more.
Official data indicates that around 94,000 government schools have closed between 2014-15 and 2024-25. A report from the government think-tank Niti Aayog acknowledged that while some closures were due to consolidation efforts, a decrease in enrollment also reflects a rising demand for private schools. The CJP argues that the poor condition of government schools deprives rural children of equal opportunities, often leading them to work in agriculture or construction instead of pursuing higher education.
The CJP, an online satirical movement, gained international attention for its recent protests in Delhi, which preceded the resignation of the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests were initially sparked by a scandal involving India's medical entrance exam, NEET, where a question paper leak led to the cancellation of the exam for nearly two million students and was linked to more than 20 student suicides. The #SchoolThikKaro campaign aims to build on this momentum to advocate for significant improvements in the country's educational infrastructure.