Enrolment up to Class VIII in govt schools down by 50K in Himachal this year
The decline in enrolment in government schools continues. As compared to the last academic session (2023-24), the number of students from Class I to VIII has dropped by over 50,000 in the current academic session. As against 4.80 lakh students in the last academic session up to Class VIII, there are 4.26 lakh students in the current academic session.
Incidentally, the enrolment in the government schools has been declining over the past many years. From a robust strength of around six lakh students during 2003-2004 in primary classes, the number has come down to mere 2.36 lakh students, a decline of around 60 per cent. In the same period, the enrolment in the upper primary section (Class VI to VIII) has dropped from around 3.75 lakh to around 1.90 lakh students, a drop of around 50 per cent.
While the exodus to private schools continues to be a major reason for the declining enrolment in government schools, Elementary Education Director Ashish Kohli points out two more factors – fixing six years age for admission to Class I and the declining total fertility rate in the state - as the possible reasons for the decline in enrolment in this academic session. “As we have fixed the minimum age as six years for admission to Class I, as per the Right to Education Act, many children may not have been able to take admission this year. These children will enter the primary section next year. Also, our total fertility rate is declining consistently, which means we have lesser children now than a few years ago,” he added. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) indicates the number of children a woman will give birth to in her lifetime. If the TFR is 2.1, the population will remain stable. As per the department’s data, the population in the 6-14 year age group is declining steadily – from nearly 12 lakh in 2017, the population in this age group will be between 9 lakh and 10 lakh in 2030.
As per the National health Mission, Himachal Pradesh, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in the state has slipped to 1.5, much below the replacement rate of 2.1. It was 1.9 in the National Family Health Survey-4 in 2015-16, 1.7 in the NFHS-5 in 2019-21, and now it has further slipped to 1.5. At present, Himachal figures among the states having the lowest TFR in the country. “We will discuss the decline in enrolment and the possible reasons with the higher authorities to come up with an appropriate strategy,” says Kohli.
