Two single-storey buildings on Srinagar-Baramulla highway stand abandoned. The doors and windows of the buildings have been pulled out. These buildings give a haunted look. A small board erected on wall of one of these structures in Potkha in Sangrama constituency gives a peep about their past. Only few years ago the buildings would be lively with students. Established in 1972 the school was one of the oldest primary schools in the Sopore zone and had earned reputation of one of the best schools. But as education sector grew exponentially in Kashmir the school failed to compete in the field. Last year the school had no student on its rolls, ultimately forcing the department to close down the school. Two teachers who were running the school were shifted to a nearby school. An official said despite the fact that school was witnessing a fall in its enrollment it was not clubbed under rationalisation policy in 2015. That time it had just 35 students on rolls. Given its location, the school would have been developed as model school but for lackadaisical approach of the concerned authorities. Today the school building is in ruins. This is not the lone school which has been closed down owing to fall in the enrollment. There are dozens of such schools which have met the same fate over the years. Government primary school Hygam was closed by authorities after enrollment of the school decreased to zero. “The trend is troublesome for the government as these schools were not established under any centrally sponsored scheme but were set up by the state decades ago and had good enrollment,” an official said. Another school in Kupwara district is also at the verge of closure as the enrollment of this middle school has been gradually decreasing. Government Middle school Kunnel Payeen in Mawar Zone of Kupwara district is one of the oldest schools of the area but the decreasing student population has gone against its reputation. This school used to have more than 200 students on its rolls. The number has now come down to 50. There are hundreds of such schools at primary and elementary level where enrollment has gone down over the years. The downfall in the enrollment leading to closure of schools is witnessed at a time when the school education department is observing enrollment drives across valley. The directorate of school education Kashmir (DSEK), before announcing winter vacation for schools claimed to have organized enrollment drives in every district and enrolled around one lakh students in government schools. But shutting down of schools at Potkhah and Hygam contradict the claims of the education department. “The infrastructure worth lakhs and crores is lying unattended but the government is unmoved. Given the downfall trend in the enrollment of schools, the department should go for consolidation of schools and use the existing infrastructure judiciously,” another official said. Already, around 800 school buildings have been abandoned post rationalisation carried by education department in 2015 after the government found 124 government schools established under erstwhile SSA scheme with zero enrollment. The government schools, particularly up to elementary level, are witnessing downfall in enrollment mainly due to lack of basic facilities in the schools for which the department gets separate grants from Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) every year. Last month, Rs 58.627crore was released by state project directorate (SPD) of Samagra Shiksha for government run schools of the state as composite school grants. The funds are to be utilized for academic purpose as well as up gradation of facilities in schools. Chief education officer (CEO) Baramulla, Abdul Ahad admitted that the situation in the schools closed down should have been “the other way round” owing to adequate funding from government. “The SSA schools which were clubbed in 2015 are full of problems but decrease of enrollment or closure of state schools is not a good sign. We will look into the matter,” he said.
Why is student enrolment on decline in government schools?
