The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Dip in school enrolment

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Sunday, Jul 05, 2009
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Dip in school enrolment

Sangeeth Kurain

1,77,082 students got enrolled in government schools

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Enrolment of students in government, aided and unaided schools in the district recorded a marginal dip this year as compared to the previous academic year.

As per the ‘sixth working day enrolment figures’ provided by the Directorate of Public Instruction, on completion of this year’s admission, a total of 4,01,508 students got admitted to various schools in 2009-10 compared to the 4,12,366 in 2008. This is a decline of 2.63 percent.

In the current academic year, 1,77,082 students got enrolled in government schools, 1,72,932 students in aided schools and 51,494 in unaided schools. In 2008-09 these were 1,83,708; 1,73,987 and 54,671 students respectively.

The variation (from the previous year) are as follows: Government schools, 6,626 students; aided schools, 1,055 students; and unaided schools 3,177 students. The figures for unrecognised schools are not available.

Pathanamthitta district, with a decline of 3.9 percentage points, recorded the highest rate of decline. While demographic factors like fall in birth rate are being cited as reasons for the dwindling numbers by most education officers, some say it is due to the proliferation of unrecognised schools.

There had been a decline in enrolment in the last couple of years, a senior Education Department officer said.

Director Public Instruction A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish said the trend could be checked only by enhancing the level of academic transaction and by improving the relevance of the State curriculum.

“Middle and upper middle class families opt for CBSE and ICSE school. To reverse the trend, we have to improve the State curriculum,” Mr. Hanish said.

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