HP to shut govt schools with poor enrolment
SHIMLA:The Jai Ram Thakur-led Himachal Pradesh government has decided to relook into the functioning of government schools. Under this, schools that have witnessed low enrolment will be closed down. There are also plans to merge some schools to utilise the faculty and management in a better manner.
Arun Sharma, secretary, education, said, “We are reviewing the performance of schools. The government is working on plans to improve the standards of schools and boost enrolment. We have also invited suggestions from academician, NGO’s, teachers and other stakeholders in this regard.”
At present, there are 18,039 schools in Himachal Pradesh. Of these, 15,327 are government schools and 2,712 are private. Furthermore, of the total schools, 10,724 are primary schools, 2,064 middle schools, 923 high schools and 1,718 senior secondary schools. Of the 10,724 primary schools, 1,021 (9.5%) are single-teacher schools and the figure for middle schools is 193 (9.35%).
Low enrolment rate in government schools during the academic session 2016-17, particu- larly in rural areas, has been a cause of concern for the state government.
Last year’s annual report of the education department paints a grim picture of government schools in the state.
Of the 14, 44, 260 students enrolled in different schools in the state, 9,31,187 (65%) are in government schools. On the other hand, the 2,712 private schools have a strength of approximately 5 lakh students.
In a report prepared under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan it was found that as many as 1,200 schools in Himachal Pradesh are manned by only one teacher.