HP govt decides to close primary schools having less than five

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to close 99primary schools that have less than five students on rolls.

The students enrolled in these schools would be shifted to schools in adjoining areas.

The cabinet has given nod to the proposal as it was observed that schools with five or less students were not conducive for overall growth of the child as he or she learns more in company of others in the same age group.

The government has been opening schools without making any need-based survey on the pretext of facilitating primary education at the door step but this is proving counterproductive as enrolment was abysmally low, a senior officer of the education department said.
 

Principal secretary (education) R D Dhiman confirmed that the cabinet has given nod to closure of these schools and students would be shifted to schools in adjoining areas.

There are about 25,000 teachers in 10,710 primary schools with enrolment of 3,23,387 and the teacher-student ratio was worked out at 12.95.

The teacher-student ratio was satisfactory but the deployment has not been done in a proper manner creating gaps, and 1,343 schools have single teacher while 6,324 schools are being run by two teachers, as per the U-Dise report for 2015-16.

4,677 schools have less than 20 students and 4,912 schools have 21 to 60 students in five classes in primary section, it said.