Karnataka grapples with zero-kid, zero-teacher schools

Of the 47,000-plus government schools in the state, some have no students and others are struggling with no teachers.

According to School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa, more than 3,000 government-run schools in the state have less than 10 students, which include some with zero enrolment. In his own constituency, Sorab, as many as 52 schools have zero teachers.

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According to data available from the Department of School Education and Literacy, 3,646 schools have between 0 and 10 students and 6,529 schools with more than 100 students are managing with single teachers.

According to academicians, ‘zero enrolment’ or ‘zero teachers’ is technically a closure or merger of schools. “Schools with zero students or zero teachers means schools are on the verge of closure,” said Development Educationist, Niranjanaradhya V P. However, the minister said he has sought a report from the department on schools with enrolment of less than 10.

Interestingly, there are 72 government schools with no teachers in Kanakapura taluk alone, the Assembly segment represented by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

“One can imagine the situation in remote and hilly areas. How can we call it a school if there is no teacher? This is a gross violation of the Right to Education Act,” added Niranjanaradhya.

Officials from these taluks blame it on the recent teachers’ transfer counselling. “Since the government allowed teachers who served at the same taluk for 10 to 20 years to opt out, a majority of them took transfers,” said a senior official who added there has been no incoming registration to replace those going out.

“These posts now have to be filled by recruitment or we will have to manage with guest teachers,” said a senior official.

“Few teachers opt for schools in Kanakapura taluk since they are near forest borders and in Sorab since they are in catchment areas and away from district headquarters,” the official said.

In Kanakapura, officials at the taluk level refused to relieve teachers and brought it to the notice of the higher-ups. “If we relieve 177 teachers who have got transfers out of district/taluk, we will have no teachers in 72 schools,” officials said. In Kanakapura taluk alone, of the 1,100 sanctioned posts, 700 were working and 400 were already vacant and of which 177 are transferred out now, data shows.

Across the state, there are over 6,529 schools with single teachers of which the highest are in Hassan district with 386 followed by 306 in Shivamogga, 144 in Bengaluru South and 30 in Gadag.

Officials however claim that zero enrolment in some places is because there are no students of that particular age group. A senior official told DH, “There are two reasons for zero enrollment, one is parents are switching to private schools and another is that the fertility rate in Karnataka is coming down.”