BBMP schools lack classrooms, teachers to handle rising enrollment

Admissions to BBMP schools and colleges may have spiked this academic year to 24,370, but institutions are unable to cope with the workload due to paucity of manpower and infrastructure.

While institutions recorded close to 18,000 admissions in 2019-20, their numbers significantly increased in the subsequent years as parents, who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, are admitting their wards to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) schools.

“With the increase in enrollment, a few schools lack basic facilities such as furniture. We also need extra classrooms to accommodate the increasing number of students,” said a senior BBMP official.

Acknowledging the need to provide better infrastructure, Umesha B S, BBMP Assistant Commissioner (Education), told DH that the civic body is in the process of constructing new classrooms.

“A proposal to construct new classrooms in all schools has been approved. The project is funded under the state government and construction will begin soon,” Umesha said.

The BBMP’s education wing has received funds to the tune of Rs 160 crore from the state government.

Absence of qualified teachers in most schools is a bigger problem, a senior BBMP official said.

With the civic body not recruiting permanent teachers in 27 years, 640 out of 800 teachers working now are contract employees.

The civic body has submitted a proposal to recruit 201 permanent teachers to the Urban Development Department (UDD), which has been gathering dust for the past six months.

“Most of the teachers appointed back then will be retiring in the next few months and it will be difficult to run the schools because there will be a shortage of teachers to occupy posts such as headmasters and principals,” yet another official explained.

150 dropouts to be re-enrolled

The BBMP’s efforts to bring students into the learning system — Schools on Wheels — has found 150 children can be admitted back to the schools. These children were initially taught in the buses that the BBMP had deployed in every zone.

“Teachers would go to slums and other underprivileged areas to bring children to the buses. More than 150 children have been identified across the eight zones and we have passed on the details to officials from ‘Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan’. They will ensure the children get admission to the nearest schools,” Umesha said.