Rajasthan: Action Likely Against 10,000 Govt Schools, Reason Explained

Rajasthan Education Department: Around 10,000 government schools in Rajasthan may be closed. Based on low enrollment, they could be merged with nearby schools.

Bikaner: Around 10,000 government schools in Rajasthan may be closed. They could be merged with nearby schools based on low enrollment. In this regard, the Directorate of Education has issued a format to the District Education Offices and sought information. The format issued by the Director of Primary Education has sought a list of primary schools with less than 15 enrollments and upper primary schools with less than 25 enrollments.

The names of their nearby schools with more than 39 enrollments have also been requested. In secondary education too, a list of Mahatma Gandhi and English medium schools with less than 30 enrollments is being prepared. If the integration happens as per the format, about 10,000 schools in Rajasthan with low enrollment will be closed. Their future will be decided on March 23 at Dr. Radhakrishnan Education Complex in Jaipur.

Orders Issued: Education Department

The Joint Secretary had sought information on government primary schools with 0 to 14 enrollments and government upper primary schools with 0 to 24 enrollments on March 17. In response, the list of schools received has been fed into the Shala Darpan portal. Now, by March 23, various information, including nearby government schools for such schools, needs to be filled in the prescribed format. This will be discussed in a workshop in Jaipur. For this, District Primary Education Officers have been asked to bring the prescribed format filled to the Jaipur Education Complex. The future course of action regarding the integration of schools may also be decided on this day.

The number of primary schools with less than 15 enrollments and upper primary schools with less than 30 enrollments in the state is around 7,300. If Mahatma Gandhi and English medium schools with less than 30 enrollments and secondary schools with less than 40 enrollments are added to this, the figure is estimated to be around 10,000. Upon adjustment, all these will be closed.

Discussion on Less Than 40 Enrollments Also

The format of primary education also seeks information about primary and upper primary schools with low enrollment, along with schools in their vicinity that have buildings. In this too, only entries of secondary and higher secondary schools with more than 39 enrollments and safe buildings have been requested. In such a scenario, discussions about the integration of secondary education schools with less than 40 enrollments in the next phase have also begun in the education sector.

Will Be Known on March 23

Information has been sought on primary schools with less than 15 enrollments and upper primary schools with less than 25 enrollments, and their nearby schools. What will happen next will be known only on March 23.
- Sajjan Singh, ADEO (Primary Education), Sikar

Will Oppose

Lack of resources and monitoring is the main reason for the decline in enrollment. The order to merge schools will violate the RTE. The organisation will strongly oppose the integration.
- Upendra Sharma, State General Secretary, Rajasthan Shikshak Sangh (She)