188 zero enrolment schools in Karnataka

A total of 188 schools in the State, including 160 lower primary, 29 higher primary, and three high schools, have zero enrolment this year.

This was revealed by School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa while responding to a question by member K.S. Naveen in the Legislative Council.

Notably, Tumakuru educational district has the highest number of zero enrolment schools, with 45. Zero enrolment has been recorded in 21 schools in Kalaburagi district, 20 in Kolar, 18 in Koppal, 17 in Bidar, and 12 in Chitradurga.

Lower primary schools are the most among the zero enrollment schools. One high school each in Bengaluru South, Hassan, and Koppal districts have zero enrolment.

Single-teacher schools

The government also revealed that there is only one teacher in 6,675 schools.

Hassan has the highest number of such schools with 586, followed by Tumakuru (426), Kolar (347), Mandya (338), Chickballapur (334), Bengaluru South (298), and Mysuru (294).

Niranjanaradhya.V.P., development educationist, said this indicates the “pathetic conditions of government schools in the State”.

“The declining enrolment and growing number of zero enrolment schools is not because parents are not interested in public schools. Rather, it could be attributed to the dereliction and abdication of the duty by the Department of Education to implement the fundamental right to education by providing minimum infrastructure facilities as per the norms and standards provided under the RTE Act. The RTE compliance in the State is 23.6 %, much below the national average. A total of 62,650 teacher posts as against the sanctioned posts of 2,37,115 are vacant in elementary and high schools With these alarming conditions, how can we expect poor parents to send their children to public schools?,” he asked.

EOM