Govt schools closed, buildings misused

Schools turn into godowns as education department officials dilemma on use continues

With the State government closing/merging several schools which had student strength of less than 10, the buildings of these schools are now being misused.

The government instructed officials of the Primary and Secondary Education department to close schools which had less than 10 students and attach these students to a nearby school. However, the government has not come out with clear instructions on how to utilise the buildings of the closed schools.

In all, 3,073 government lower primary schools and 101 higher primary schools have been shut down in the State.

Confusion

While officials are in a dilemma on how to use these buildings, taking advantage of the situation, people in many villages in Chikkaballapur district have been using the school buildings for storing foodgrains and milk cans.

In some cases, school buildings are reportedly being used for unlawful activities by unscrupulous elements in villages.

Opinions differ

When contacted by Deccan Herald, a senior official from the department said that officials were divided on how to better utilise these buildings. While some were in favour of permitting anganwadi centres to function from such buildings, a few others wanted the schools to be re-started in these buildings, which are still under the control of the department.

For instance, the government school in Tandramaradahalli in the district has been shut down and the building is lying unused.

K V Narayanaswamy, a resident of the village, said that the very atmosphere and ambience of the village has been changed once the school was closed. There is hardly in activity in village of late,” he rued.

RTE admissions

 On the other, the strength of several schools in the district are coming down with a large number of parents putting their wards into private English medium schools under the Right to Education Act.

Officials as well as teachers in government schools fear that several schools may have to be shut down in the coming days as strength would plummet to less than 10 if more parents start sending their children to private schools by utilising the provisions of the RTE