No let up on uneconomic schools

Thiruvananthapuram: There is growing concern in academic circles that the sanctioning of new higher secondary schools despite the fall in enrollment  in primary and high schools, will only make the running of many of these institutions uneconomic in the next decade.

It’s believed that change in the demographic pattern of the state due to a low birth rate is mainly to blame for the falling enrolment. Going by the  Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the overall student strength of state syllabus schools is falling with every passing year. While it was 38, 51,515 last year, it was 39, 86,158 in 2012-2013 and  42, 35,285 in 2011-12.

And this year it could fall to around 36.20 lakh.  Even if all the 2.95 lakh children admitted to Class I in 2012 clear the Class X examination, there will still be 3.45 lakh Plus Two seats for 2.95 lakh students in 2022, sources point out.

There has also been a fall of 44,221 students enrolling  in lower primary schools between  2012-13 and 2013-14. The fall is 57012  in upper primary (UP) schools in this period and 18789 in high schools.

The fall in enrollment had forced the government to announce a  package for primary and high school teachers on June 1, 2011, regularising 3, 389 teachers in  aided schools. A ‘Teachers' Bank' was also set up with  a list of 8,076 teachers, ( 3,389 approved afresh and 2,987 ‘protected'). Another 1,700 teachers, on expiry of their period of ‘protection,' were included in the bank later. But no such “ protection” has  been extended to teachers in higher secondary schools.

Meanwhile, many are unhappy with the government for sanctioning  new higher secondary schools in areas where they are not needed and ignoring other parts where they could make a  real difference. Higher Secondary School Teachers' Association (HSSTA) general secretary, Sabuji Varghese says 17 Plus Two schools were sanctioned this year in Pathanamthitta where a large number of  seats went vacant last year.  With no rise in  population  in the district admissions to class I were decreasing every year, he points out.

All Kerala School Teachers Union (AKSTU) president, N Sreekumar says the government has not taken into account the shortage of seats in some cities and the many lying vacant in rural areas. The ideal solution would be a rearrangement of seats, in his view.

All India Save Education Committee convener, M Shajer Khan too believes this is called for as there is currently a shortage of seats in the Malabar. As many as 29,000 students could not get admitted to Plus One courses last year he recalls, adding that their number could increase to 64,000 this year. The new schools were sanctioned without  scientific study, he deplores.