Sharp decline in enrolment in government schools

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, Oct 24: In a stunning revelation it came to light that the numbers of students are declining rapidly in the schools run by the state government in Tripura while privately maged schools are flourishing during the last few years.

According to a study conducted by the School Education department, the numbers of students in the primary and upper primary level in all the government schools were 4, 36,632 in the year 2012-13.

Among them number of students in the primary level was 2, 53,340 and in the upper primary level it was 1, 83,292.

In the year 2013-14, the numbers of students in the primary and the upper primary level was 4, 14,084, a reduction of 22,548 compared to the previous year.

In this year number of students in the primary level

was 2, 43,668 while in the upper primary level it was 1, 70,416.

In the year 2014-15 the numbers of students admitted in the government schools were further reduced by 10,218. This year total number of students in the primary and upper primary level came down to 4, 03,866.

Among them 2, 35,197 were in the primary level and 1, 68,669 were in the upper primary level.

Against this dismal picture of over 4,000 government schools across the State, the  intake in the privately run schools are increasing rapidly. At present the number of students in 295 privately-run schools is over one lakh.

According to the educationists and social activists, working in the field of education, the growing tendency of the guardians to educate their children in English medium, so that, they can compete in a globalised environment is one of the main reasons for this changing scerio.

However, they also admit that it was not the sole reason for the guardian’s growing apathy for the

government schools. Among other reasons they attribute this failure mainly to the increasing political interference and declining teaching standard in the schools especially in the rural areas.

‘However, mother of all reason for students deserting the government run schools is the introduction of no-detention policy that abolished the examition up to class viii standard’, said one Head Master.

The study also depicted a grim picture of the condition of the schools especially in the rural and hilly areas of the State. According to the study number of students in 95 schools is less than 10, in 543 schools it is less than 20 and in 2771 schools it is less than 100.

This dismal picture is more woeful because of the fact that the government schools have failed to enroll sufficient student despite offering various sops like mid-day-meal, free books and dresses etc.

An official of the department involved in keeping statistics said what the study revealed is much less of the true picture of the field as at least one thousand schools are their where students hardly ever attend the school.

“Only task of the teachers in these schools are to sign the attendance register that too once or twice in a week,” he said.

Sources further said appointment of below standard teachers who don’t have the capacity to undertake classes, leave aside attracting the students, is one more reason for the students are not getting encouraged to come to school.

However, with the introduction of the new education policy and selection of teachers through Teacher’s Eligibility Test, it is expected that the political selection of the teachers will come to an end and qualified people will come to the profession.

This may change the picture and the glorious days of the government education system will return soon.

However, abolition of no-detention policy and introduction of examitions up to class viii is one of the pre-condition for that..