Sukhu govt to close down 286 schools due to zero enrolment
Shimla: The proposed cost cutting drive of the three-month-old Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is all set to take a toll on 286 government schools, 228 of these primary and other 56 middle schools, due to zero enrolment.
Out of 24 degree colleges opened during the BJP government, 18 colleges will be closed. The number of students in these colleges remained between zero and 35.
State Education Minister Rohit Thakur blamed the previous BJP government of recklessly opening the schools and colleges without following proper norms or framing any criterion/policy.
“The Jai Ram Thakur government had opened 314 schools in the last six months for political gain just before the elections. Schools were also opened in places where there was no need or justification for it. Instead of consolidation, the government kept on opening new schools and colleges,” Thakur said.
He said that the BJP government opened 23 colleges and 314 schools. Now, the Congress government headed by Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has taken a bold decision to rationalise the educational institutions.
Only those colleges and schools will remain functional where there are more than 65 children. All those having lower or zero enrolments of students will be closed.
Sources said there are 1,500 government schools with less student strength but closure of the schools is proposed in the phased manner from the new academic session.
He admitted that a proposal has been prepared to close primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools with student strength ranging from 10 to 25.
Students, teachers and non-teachers studying in these schools will be accommodated in the adjoining schools.
The vacant buildings of the schools will be given to Gram Panchayats, Mahila Mandals or Yuvak Mandals.
The education minister said that instead of running schools with less number of students, it was the priority of the government to strengthen adjacent schools.
“The department has taken a decision to accommodate primary schools with less than 10 students, secondary schools with less than 15 students, high schools with less than 20 students and senior secondary schools with less than 25 students in adjacent schools,” the minister said.
The government has taken a decision in principle to effect cost cutting in all the departments and the education department will undertake an exercise with an immediate effect.
The departmental officials said that there were many such schools in the state where four to five teachers are appointed to teach only two to four students. Many such complaints have reached the education minister.
“Now teachers from schools with surplus teachers will be transferred to other schools, so that the education of the state can be run smoothly. During the next 10 years, the face of Himachal Pradesh’s education will be seen to be changed,” State Education Minister Rohit Thakur said.
