Fifteen government-run Marathi and Konkani primary schools across the State have shut down for want of students during the current academic year.
PANAJI
The graph of government-run Marathi/Konkani primary schools that have shut down during the last three years has shown an increasing trend with nearly 9 schools shutting down during the academic year 2014-15, 15 schools during the academic year 2015-16 and 15 schools in 2016-17. While the total number of schools which have closed down is 40 during the last three years, nearly 17 are from Ponda taluka. The trend clearly indicates that though the government has been providing ample facilities, including the state-of-the-art infrastructure, it has failed to attract students to government schools. Speaking to The Goan, an official from the State Directorate of Education said that the number of government-run primary schools which has shut down during the last three year in on a rise as parents prefer admitting their children to aided schools. “Presently, the government is providing all the possible infrastructure facilities to government-run primary schools. But a few years back, their condition was so pathetic that parents preferred to send their children to aided schools as they provided better facilities”, he said. The decreasing number could also be attributed to the State Government granting permission to new aided primary schools in close proximity to the existing government-run primary schools. The official pointed out that there is a misconception among parents that aided schools impart quality education compared to government schools. “Parents feel that if they send their children to aided schools they will get quality education. Moreover, presently only those who cannot afford or those who cannot cope up with studies and fail, prefer to join the government schools”, he said. Speaking to The Goan, Education Director Gajanan Bhat expressed unhappiness over government schools shutting down due to want of students. However, the State Government has taken up construction and repairs of the government-run primary schools through the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). This has definitely given the schools a new lease of life. It will take some time to get students attracted to the government schools”, he said. Meanwhile, when asked to comment if the teachers in these government-run schools will now become surplus, he said, “Those teachers will be adjusted and placed in the existing schools. Moreover, many teachers have also retired. So I don t think any of these teachers will become surplus.” Meanwhile, forty schools across the State have enrollment of five and less than five students.