Govt to shut down primary school with enrolment of less than 20 students
Citing the Right to Education Act, the Telangana government stated that the Act mandates maintenance of teacher pupil ratio. However, though left ambiguous, the RTE also mandates free education in a neighbourhood school. (Photo: DC/File)
Hyderabad: Working at cross purposes, the Telangana government is talking of introducing free education and curbing dropout rates, but is planning to shut down several schools at the same time.
The Telangana government on Saturday decided to shut down government schools with enrolment of less than 75 at the secondary level and those less than 20 at the primary level. Officials said about 1,500 government schools in the state would have to be shut down as a result.
Citing the Right to Education Act, the Telangana government stated that the Act mandates maintenance of teacher pupil ratio. However, though left ambiguous, the RTE also mandates free education in a neighbourhood school.
The Telangana government has decided to shut down every primary school with enrolment of less than 20 students and send the students to another school within a one km radius.
Stating that high schools with a strength less than 75 students are not viable, the government said such public schools will be shut down and the students moved to another school within a three-km radius. Officials say that as a result of the rationalization, about 1,500 government schools in Telangana would have to be shut down.
The term ‘neighbourhood’ has not been defined by the RTE, which means governments can say a school within a distance of a few kms is also in the neighbourhood. This move stands liable to criticism from all quarters since shutting down of schools could spur student dropout rates in the state.
The last rationalization was brought about in 2011 in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, where even schools with strengths less than 20 were allowed to function.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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