Gujarat government’s unique annual programme aimed at increasing the enrolment of children, especially girls, in primary schools all across its 18,000 villages is set to kick off on June 14.

The six-day Shala Pravesh Utsav celebrates education by launching extensive school enrolment drive.

This year, the state chief minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by his ministers and senior bureaucrats will travel to different villages to encourage parents to get their children enrolled.

“The chief minister will not only motivate children to join schools but will also gather first-hand feedback on the quality of the education in primary schools,” said an official in the Gujarat government.

The program started in 2003 has a two-pronged aim of increasing school enrolments and decreasing the number of school dropouts.

According to the state government records, the programme has yielded results. In 2006-07, the dropout rate of the girl child (class 1 to 5) had come down to 3.68% from 20.81% in 2000-01. The year 2011 saw the dropout ratio fall even further to an all-time low of 2%.

During the six days of the programme children dress up for the occasion and come to school in decorated bullock-carts or other vehicles accompanied by their parents, and are welcomed by teachers and other villagers.

The newly enrolled children are given colourful enrolment caps and welcomed with a tilak. They are also offered sweets and confectionaries.