Families of 1.2 lakh students save Rs 210 crore by enrolling their children in SAGES schools

Raipur: Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel’s initiative, the Swami Atmanand Government Excellent English and Hindi Medium School, has emerged as a successful model of “Quality Education at Zero Cost.” Children are receiving a quality education without any fees, resulting in substantial savings for families. The parents of these 120,778 children have saved Rs 210.54 crore by enrolling them in the SAGES schools instead of spending on fees in private schools. This move has alleviated the financial burden on families belonging to the poor and lower middle class, who had to forgo private schools due to high fees. The government-run schools have provided them with an excellent alternative.

Swami Atmanand Government Excellent English- and Hindi-medium schools have surpassed private schools in infrastructure and quality education. The state government is continuously evaluating the scheme’s progress to ensure its effectiveness. The assessment revealed that high fees at private schools made it impossible for poor and middle-class families to enroll their children there, and if these parents had enrolled their children in private schools, they would have paid around Rs 210 crore in fees. However, state government schools have become a vital support for these families, which are offering their children quality education without any cost.

Families of 96,226 students studying in Swami Atmanand Excellent English medium schools saved around Rs. 180.74 crore, while families of 24,552 students studying in Swami Atmanand Excellent Hindi medium schools saved approximately Rs. 79 crore. The state government currently operates 727 Swami Atmanand Government Excellent English and Hindi medium schools, proving to be a cost-effective option for providing quality education to many students.