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286 schools with zero enrolment of students denotified: HP government
HP education minister Rohit Thakur said the staff of these schools would be shifted to the other institutions; alleges that the education standards in the state declined during the five-year rule of the BJP government and it also reflected in the annual status of education report and performance grading index
The government of Himachal Pradesh has decided to shut down educational institutions, including schools and colleges, which have low enrolment, education minister Rohit Thakur said while addressing mediapersons in Shimla on Sunday.
The education department has identified 286 primary and high schools across the state having zero student enrolment, he added.
The staff of these schools would be shifted to the other institutions, said the minister, alleging that the education standards in the state declined during the five-year rule of the BJP government and it also reflected in the annual status of education report and performance grading index.
He said there were over 3,000 schools in the state and more than 12,000 posts of teaching and non-teaching staff were lying vacant.
Of the 286 schools with zero student enrolment, 228 are primary and 56 are middle schools. “We have decided to shut these schools and shift the employees to the schools with staff shortage,” said Thakur.
The minister alleged that the previous BJP government, for political gains, opened 920 institutions and offices of which more than 320 were schools.
“No budgetary provisions or recruitment of staff was done for these schools,” he claimed, and said that the Congress government has adopted a liberal approach and set criteria to continue these schools.
Thakur said primary schools having admission of 10 students will not be shut down. Similarly, the criterion for middle school is 15 student enrolments, 20 for high schools and 25 for senior secondary schools.
As far as technical education is concerned, the previous government had opened 18 institutions of which, 13 will continue and five, which were not functional, will be closed.
He said there would be rationalisation of staff and the teachers of the closed institutions would be sent to nearby schools which are facing shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff.
