A video circulating on social media has reignited a familiar but important debate in Gujarat: what is the condition of government schools after decades of BJP rule in the state?
The post, shared on August 9, 2026, claims to show the condition of a government school in Gujarat and describes it as a “shame” after nearly three decades of BJP governance.
The video has sparked criticism online, with questions being raised about government spending, school infrastructure and the gap between political claims about development and the everyday experience of students.
However, the exact location of the school and when the footage was recorded should be independently verified before treating every claim accompanying the video as established fact.
The Question That Cannot Be Avoided: Who Is Responsible?
The BJP has governed Gujarat continuously since 1998, with Narendra Modi serving as chief minister from 2001 to 2014 before becoming Prime Minister.
That long tenure inevitably creates a straightforward accountability question:
After so many years in power, can the government still blame the previous government for basic shortcomings in public schools? Every government inherits problems.
But after decades, citizens are entitled to ask whether those problems have been solved.
A government school is not merely a building.
It is where children from families who cannot afford expensive private education go to study.
If classrooms, toilets, drinking water, furniture, electricity or basic maintenance are inadequate, the consequences are ultimately borne by children.
Gujarat’s Development Model
Faces a Reality Check Gujarat has frequently been presented as a model of economic development, industrial growth and infrastructure.
That makes the condition of any poorly maintained government school particularly significant.
Because development cannot be measured only through:
Expressways
Industrial corridors
Investment summits
Large infrastructure projects
Corporate investment
Urban beautification
There is another measurement:
Can a child in a government school sit in a safe, clean classroom and receive a decent education?
That is perhaps a much more personal definition of development.
A Viral Video Is Not an Audit
There is an important caveat.
One school—or even several schools—cannot automatically establish that Gujarat’s entire government-school system is failing.
Likewise, a viral video cannot tell us:
When the footage was recorded
Whether repairs were already sanctioned
Whether the school has subsequently been renovated
Whether the condition shown is temporary
How widespread the problem is
Those questions require official records and independent verification.
The video should trigger an investigation, not replace one.
What Should the Government Explain?
If the school shown in the video is indeed a government institution in Gujarat, authorities should answer some basic questions.
1. Which school is it?
The exact location and school identification should be made public.
2. When was the last inspection conducted?
If inspectors visited recently, what did their reports say?
3. How much funding was allocated?
Citizens should know how much money was sanctioned for infrastructure and maintenance.
4. Where was the money spent?
Was the expenditure actually made?
5. Who was responsible for maintenance?
Was the responsibility with the school administration, local authority, district administration or state department?
6. Were complaints received?
If teachers, parents or students had complained, what action followed?
7. When will the deficiencies be fixed?
Most importantly, citizens need a deadline—not another press release.
The Government School Test
Governments often release impressive statistics about education.
But parents don’t experience education through spreadsheets.
They experience it through their children’s classrooms.
They see:
The roof.
The toilet.
The drinking water.
The desks.
The fans.
The teachers.
The textbooks.
The playground.
That’s why a single neglected school can become politically powerful imagery.
One broken classroom can undermine a hundred speeches about development.
And What About the Students?
The biggest danger in this debate is that political arguments overshadow the people who actually matter: the children.
A child attending a government school did not choose the government’s political party.
They should not have to wait for a viral video before basic infrastructure receives attention.
Education infrastructure should be maintained because it is a government responsibility—not because someone posted a video that began trending.
The Opposition’s Question Is Easy. The Government’s Answer Should Be Easier.
If the video is misleading, the government can provide:
The school’s name → inspection report → expenditure records → current photographs → repair status.
That would settle the matter.
If the video is accurate, the response should be even simpler:
Acknowledge the problem → fix it → publish the expenditure → establish accountability.
Either way, transparency wins.
The Political Irony
For decades, Gujarat has been used as an example of governance and development.
So when images of a dilapidated government school emerge, the obvious question is:
If Gujarat can attract major industries and build world-class infrastructure, why should a government school struggle to provide basic facilities?That’s not an ideological question.
That’s a taxpayer’s question.
Sarcasm Alert: The “Model State” Test
Maybe the ultimate test of development isn’t how impressive the airport looks.
Maybe it’s whether the school down the road has a functioning toilet.
Because a child doesn’t study in an investment summit.
They study in a classroom.
And no child should have to become a social-media sensation before someone notices that the classroom needs fixing.
What Should the Gujarat Government Do Now?
If the school shown in the viral footage is genuine, the government should:
Immediately identify and inspect the school.
Release the latest inspection report.
Publish sanctioned and actual expenditure.
Repair unsafe infrastructure immediately.
Conduct an audit of nearby government schools.
Create a public mechanism for parents and teachers to report infrastructure problems.
Fix responsibility where sanctioned funds were not properly utilised.
Publish a timeline for completion of repairs.
Final Take
The viral video should not automatically be treated as proof that every government school in Gujarat is in poor condition.
But it raises a question that deserves a serious answer:
After nearly three decades of BJP rule, what should be the minimum standard of a government school in Gujarat?
A government that proudly talks about development should be equally willing to confront the places where development has apparently fallen short.
Because ultimately, the strongest measure of governance isn’t the number of years a party has been in power.
