Why HP Vidhan Sabha is debating merger of 2 schools

Notwithstanding the tough topographical conditions, a government senior secondary school at Hansa in Lahaul and Spiti district has eight teachers and five non-teaching staff for only two students.

School at Hansa in Lahaul and Spiti has eight teachers for two students

This was stated by Education Minister Rohit Thakur during a debate under Rule 62 on the merger of schools with zero or less than five students moved by Lahaul and Spiti MLA Anuradha Rana in the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday. “The 12 primary schools in Lahaul and Spiti, which have been merged, have 35 teachers for 21 students. There are nearly two teachers for one student,” Thakur said.

The minister further informed that there were 750 teachers for 2,100 students enrolled in government schools, which worked out to be even less than a teacher for three students. “My request to all MLAs is to cooperate in the endeavour to rationalise schools,” he said. All representations by people would be examined but the merger of schools was aimed at rationalisation and bringing about qualitative improvement, he said, adding that strong will power was needed to take the decision.

“The main reason for the merger was the decline in enrolment of almost 5.13 lakh in the past 20 years in government schools. The decline in qualitative education is also a matter of grave concern,” he said.

The minister said 76,000 schools had been merged across India. The number was 5,200 in Gujarat, 18,000 in MP, 14,000 in Maharashtra, 4,790 in J&K, 2,335 in Rajasthan, 1,671 in Uttarakhand, 623 in Haryana and 26,000 in Uttar Pradesh. The 16th Finance Commission had also stressed on the need for qualitative improvement in the education sector, he said.

Intervening on the issue, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the government would start  a day-boarding school, besides a boarding school, in Spiti. “We will shift children facing problems in going to the nearby school, to the school at the district headquarters. My government remains committed to ensuring that no child is deprived of education,” he said.

Anuradha Rana urged the government to reconsider the merger issue, as in tribal and difficult areas, it was difficult to traverse even half a kilometre. “Pre-nursery and pre-primary students are not being included in enrolment, which is not correct. Also, there is some inaccuracy in figures,” she claimed.