21 Kannada, 4 Urdu schools are on verge of closure

The Department for Education has no doubt decided to merge as many as 25 government schools in the district that have five or fewer students with nearby schools, but implementation still needs time, much to the relief of rural students and their parents.

Analyse and report

Taluk committees have been formed to visit the schools in danger and come up with action plans. The committee members will analyse the situation of each school and report the findings to the district committee.

The process of merging the schools, however, will begin only after the district committee approves of the analysis and gives the go ahead.

The Department for Education has already marked 28 schools in the district for closure. The Dasaramale School and Tamil Higher Primary School in Bangarpet taluk as well as Chikkasabbenahalli Lower Primary School in Malur taluk are already closed.

The number of schools with students numbering less than 10 is high in Kolar taluk, followed by Srinivaspur taluk.

128 schools

The Department decided this academic year to close or merge schools with students numbering lesser than five. Last year (2010-11), however, it had marked 128 schools in the district with fewer than 10 students.

Kolar had 36 schools, Srinivaspur 33, Bangarpet 20, Mulbagal 19, Malur 12 and Kolar Gold Fields 8 schools.

Of the above 128 schools, 21 schools with the least number of students have already been merged with the nearest school, said Jayarama Reddy, deputy coordinating officer of the Department for Public Education, speaking to Deccan Herald.

He added that Kolar had one and Srinivaspur had four Urdu lower primary schools with students numbering lesser than five. “It is, however, not possible to close them this year as there are no other schools within a radius of one kilometer anywhere near the schools. It will be very difficult for the students to travel very far,” he explained.

Drop in registration

There has been noticeable fall in the number of students in not just government, but also private, aided and unaided schools in the district the last three years, proving that it is not just government schools that are shunned, said Reddy.

“In addition, all schools with fall in number of registration are situated in small villages far from the taluk centres and with few children in the school-going age group,” he added.

“It would also be possible that the number of students in the schools, which were marked as low last year, has increased by now,” said Reddy.

In the backdrop of such circumstances, the committees will visit all schools marked last year.

The reports they submit will be reviewed by a district committee led by the chief executive officer of the Zilla Panchayat. “The matter will also be brought to the notice of the District In-charge Minister and only then will the decision to close or merge the schools be taken.”

Schools and number of students

* Bangarpet: Nagalehalli Lower Primary School (3), Kogilahalli Lower Primary School (4), Nadampalli Lower Primary School in KGF (5).

* Kolar: Nuggalapur Lower Primary School (2), Hanumanthanagar Lower Primary School (4), Raghupati Hosahalli Lower Primary School (4), Shettykunte Lower Primary School (3), Bedli Lower Primary School (4), Byrasandra Lower Primary School (4), Markandapura Lower Primary School (5).

* Mulbagal: Dasarlahalli Lower Primary School (3), Korlakunte Lower Primary School (4), Dugganakunte Lower Primary School (5), Toopalli Lower Primary School (5), Byapalli Lower Primary School (3), Booraganahalli Lower Primary School (2), Hosahalli Lower Primary School (5), Padatimmanahalli Lower Primary School (0).

* Srinivaspur: Dasarlapalli Lower Primary School (5), Lingapura Lower Primary School (5), Gudisivaripalli Lower Primary School (5)

* Urdu schools: Gaddekannur Lower Primary School in Kolar taluk (5), Dalasanoor Lower Primary School in Srinivaspur taluk (4), Yadaganahalli Lower Primary School (1), Tadigol Lower Primary School (0).