Fix schools, say India's 'cockroach' protesters. Schoolchildren agree
The poor state of government schools is the focus of a new campaign by India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
The government-run primary school in Khedi Kalan village, Faridabad, suffers from numerous issues, including damaged ceilings, unusable toilets, flooded classrooms, and abandoned ones. This situation is not unique; many schools across India lack adequate funding and are in poor condition. India allocates only 4.1% of its GDP to education, which is below the UNESCO threshold of 4%.
Several other countries, such as France, Germany, Australia, Brazil, and the US, spend over 5% of their GDP on education, with Belgium and Sweden spending even more. India's National Education Policy (NEP) recommends 6% as an ideal percentage. Between 2014-15 and 2024-25, 94,000 government schools have closed, partly due to enrolment falling as private schools gain popularity.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has launched a campaign, #SchoolThikKaro, to highlight the poor state of government schools in rural India. The campaign gained global attention after protests led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Students across India are using social media to document the poor conditions in their schools, prompting authorities to take action. One of the main challenges government schools face is a shortage of teachers and other staff.
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