Himachal shuts down 100 govt schools, merges 120 over low enrolment
In addition, 120 primary schools with five or fewer students have been merged with nearby schools. The orders were issued by education secretary Rakesh Kanwar
The education department in Himachal Pradesh has shut down 100 government schools, including 72 primary and 28 middle, owing to low enrolment.
In addition, 120 primary schools with five or fewer students have been merged with nearby schools. The orders were issued by education secretary Rakesh Kanwar.
“The government’s aim behind this is to ensure better utilisation of the department’s resources and to provide students with quality education. This will improve efficiency,” said education minister Rohit Thakur while speaking to HT.
As per the education department this is a concrete effort to improve the quality of education and optimise resource management in the state.
This is not for the first time Himachal government has taken such step. In past two and a half years, the government has either shut down or merged around 1,150 schools across the state, owing to decline in enrolment.
The last decade has seen a significant shift in the education landscape of Himachal Pradesh. Parents are increasingly preferring private and convent schools over government schools.As a result, student numbers in government institutions have dropped sharply. In some places, there are no students attending for the entire academic year, even though teachers and infrastructure are in place.
Local dialect sessions on every month’s last Saturday
To promote and preserve linguistic diversity and local heritage, the education department has issued directions to implement “local dialect interaction” sessions on the last Saturday of every month. Under this initiative, teachers will hold a special interaction in local dialects with students for half an hour.
In schools across the state last Saturday of every month is also observed as Bag Free Day.
According to notification issued on July 28 to all deputy directors of school education (elementary/secondary), the initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“This step is expected to strengthen cultural connections and improve understanding among students and educators,” read the notification. It further instructs all deputy directors to ensure that heads of schools implement the new practice and report compliance to the directorate.
“This is to encourage cultural integration, enhance communication between teachers and students, and support children who predominantly speak local dialects at home.It is a positive step toward preserving Himachal’s rich linguistic heritage and promoting inclusive education,” said education minister Rohit Thakur.
