AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government on Wednesday launched a nationwide campaign to get more than 80,000 children back into classrooms, with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel saying the aim is to “stop dropouts” and ensure that no child is left in the classroom.Inaugurating the “Samras Vidya Setu” Mega Campaign from Ahmedabad, Patel said that the school enrollment rate in Gujarat has dropped to two percent under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that the government has identified more than 80,000 school dropouts.The government is planning to re-enroll them in age-appropriate classes from Grades 1 to 12 and provide educational support to help close the learning gap.Patel said district lists of school dropouts had been prepared in Gujarat and teachers, government representatives and community leaders had contacted parents to encourage them to send their children back to school.“Each child will be enrolled in the appropriate class according to his age, while special educational support and bridge studies will be made for children who have fallen behind in their studies,” he said.Emphasizing the importance of cooperation between schools and families, Patel said that Gujarat has emerged as one of the leading places in the country for business and employment and good education is essential for young people to benefit from this opportunity.They encouraged parents to ensure that they go to school regularly and said that the goal of dropping out of school can only be achieved if the government, parents, teachers and the people all work together.Patel also highlighted the role of teachers in preventing students from dropping out, saying that they closely monitor school management and follow up when necessary.“If a child is absent from school for two consecutive days, the teacher goes to the child’s home to find out why he left,” he said.The Chief Minister said that the changes in education in public and municipal schools have encouraged many families to transfer their children from private schools to public schools.He praised the teachers and staff of the education department for their efforts and said that strengthening education can help prepare the youth of Gujarat to benefit from the growth of business and income opportunities while supporting the vision of “Viksit Bharat 2047”.Education Minister Dr Pradyuman Vaja described the campaign as “not a government program but a grassroots initiative to ensure that every child has the Right to Education”.“The government implemented a number of measures to improve higher education, including Mission of Excellence schools, smart classrooms, modern learning tools and student evaluation systems, which strengthened the public’s confidence in public schools,” he said.Regarding the National Education Policy 2020, Vaja said: “This work will focus on identifying children who have dropped out of school, re-enrolling them, regular meetings with parents, home visits, counseling and arranging bridge courses to help them return to higher education.”He said the success of the campaign will depend on the active participation of teachers, school management committees, district and taluka governments, Cluster Resource Center (CRC) and Block Resource Center (BRC) coordinators, volunteer organizations, community leaders, government and community representatives.“Districts, teachers and school management committees that have done very well during the campaign will be honored on Teachers’ Day,” he added.Education Minister Rivaba Jadeja said the government launched the project with a commitment that “not a single child in Gujarat is out of school”.He said that people’s representatives, voluntary organizations, citizens and all sections of society will contribute to the success of this campaign.“The Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani initiatives launched by Narendra Modi during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister revolutionized the field of public education,” he said.He said that the government is using methods such as Early Tracking System, Child Monitoring System, bridge courses, remedial classes and boarding schools so that children who have dropped out can return to their studies.He also called for efforts to promote girls’ education and ensure quality, productive and skill-based education. Principal Secretary (Education) Milind Torawane delivered the welcome address and explained the program on the occasion.At the meeting, the Chief Minister commended the teachers for their efforts in re-enrolling school leavers and respected organizations that provided study materials and other educational aids to students studying in government schools.