Aam Aadmi Party Gujarat state vice-president Dr Kainat Ansari Atha has raised serious questions over the education system in Kutch, saying that despite being one of the largest districts in the country, the region still lacks adequate facilities for several important academic and professional courses.
She said the shortage of professional education opportunities forces thousands of students to leave Kutch every year to pursue higher education and specialised courses in other cities.
According to Dr Atha, courses such as Chartered Accountancy (CA), Company Secretary (CS), import-export, customs clearance, fashion design, engineering and dental studies are either not available through Kutch University or do not have adequate local facilities in Kutch. As a result, students are compelled to travel to cities such as Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara to pursue these courses.
Thousands of Students Forced to Leave Kutch for Higher Education
Dr Atha said around 13,000 to 14,000 students from Kutch appear for the Class 12 examinations every year. Of these, nearly 3,000 to 4,000 academically strong students leave the district to pursue higher education elsewhere.
She termed the situation a matter of concern for the educational and social development of Kutch, arguing that students should have access to a wider range of higher and professional education opportunities within the district itself.
The issue becomes particularly difficult for parents when it comes to sending their daughters outside Kutch for education. Referring to the recent incident involving a girl from Kutch in Ahmedabad, as well as other reported cases of sexual assault over the past three to four days, Dr Atha said parents are increasingly confronted with two major concerns when considering education outside the district — access to quality education and the safety of their daughters.
“Why Should Parents Have to Choose Between Education and Safety?”
Dr Atha questioned why parents should be placed in a situation where they have to choose between providing their children with quality education and ensuring their safety.
“Why are parents being forced to choose between keeping their children safe and ensuring that they receive a good education? Is it not the government’s responsibility to ensure that children get quality education as well as a safe environment in their own district?” she asked.
She said the concerns are particularly serious for families with daughters, as parents may hesitate to send them to distant cities if they are not confident about their safety.
“Gujarat Has Become Unsafe for Girls”
Dr Atha said it was a serious matter that students from Kutch have to leave the district for higher education while parents, especially those sending their daughters outside, remain worried about their safety.
She called for urgent steps to strengthen Kutch’s education infrastructure and expand the availability of professional courses locally. According to her, the government should ensure that students have adequate opportunities to pursue higher and professional education without being compelled to leave the district.
She also emphasised the need for a broader approach that combines education with safety. Expanding colleges and professional courses, she said, should go hand in hand with creating a secure environment for students, particularly young women.
Dr Atha appealed to parents not to take the issue of education lightly and urged them to question the government about the availability of quality education, safety and the future prospects of students in Kutch.
She said the government must take responsibility for addressing the educational gaps in the district and creating an environment where students can pursue their ambitions without being forced to leave their home region because of a lack of opportunities or concerns over safety.
