PANAJI
Acknowledging the fact that Bal Raths could be one factor that is driving the students away from the government run schools, the Directorate of Education (DoE) has announced not to grant any further Bal Rath facility to the government run aided schools. Currently, there are 410 Bal Raths operational for these aided schools.
Speaking to The Goan, DoE Director Shailesh Zingade said that the government has decided not to grant permissions for new Bal Raths to government aided schools. The existing ones will continue.
“The decision is taken following directions from the Union Ministry of Education, who is of the clear view that students should be encourage to get enrolled in the schools within their vicinity and not at a far distance,” he said.
He said that the Bal Raths were meant to transport school students within a three-five kms radius of the school; however these same buses are going 10-14 kms to bring school students.
The DoE provides aid of Rs 4.7 lakh per bus annually to the schools towards the payment of drivers (Rs 17,000), attendants (Rs 10,000) and towards maintenance of the bus. There is also a five per cent annual hike.
The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had acknowledged that government schools are shutting down in the state due to Bal Raths as they are involved in ferrying students even beyond ten kms radius.
In the ongoing academic term, the DoE has ordered closure of seven schools due to nil enrolment while there are close to 60 per cent government schools, of the total 687, where less than five students are studying in Class I to IV. Another 35 schools are identified to be shut.
On an average 10-12 government primary schools are shut annually in the last ten years due to nil or poor enrolment.
