Mumbai: The State government will be closing down 1,314 Zilla Parishad schools which have 10 or less students, as it feels the low student count is a sign of poor quality education.
State Education Minister Vinod Tawde said it wouldn’t be right to say the schools were being closed down. “We are not closing these schools, rather we are accommodating these students in other schools in the vicinity, in which we have followed all RTE directives.”
According to a government survey, Maharashtra has 5,002 schools with less than 10 students, many of which are in interior and isolated parts of the State. Of these, 580 are under the Tribal and Social Justice departments, while some are self-financed. These have not been considered for shifting or closure. The government also surveyed 4,422 schools with 28,412 students to check if they can be merged. It was found that shifting 2,097 schools would require vehicles and 909 schools in the interior parts cannot be shifted.
On Saturday, the Pune Zilla Parishad will discuss a proposal to close 76 primary schools and accommodate their students in nearby schools. “The teachers will get fresh postings in other schools,” Shailaja Darade, Education Officer (Primary), Pune ZP, said.
Academicians flay plan
The move to school these ZP school was met with criticism from academicians. Kishore Darak, a Pune-based independent researcher, said, “The plan to close over 1,300 schools citing deteriorating quality is preposterous. It is a systematic effort to divorce the constitutional promise of right to education. The government is already planning on bringing in private companies interested in running schools through an amendment to the The Maharashtra Self-Financed Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2012.”He said the closing of 76 schools in Pune clearly shows the stage is being set for private players. ”The reason given is a sweeping generalisation that blames teachers, instead of understanding the nuances of enrolment and retention.”
Mr. Tawde had earlier said that henceforth, the government won’t be promoting aided schools, for which a Bill will be introduced in the winter session of the Legislative Assembly in Nagpur. A senior government officer, who declined to be named, said it will be ensured that no student is discriminated against while closing down the schools.
Legislative Council member Kapil Patil, who was elected from the teacher’s constituency, said, “As per the Right to Education Act, primary schools should be within a 1.5-km radius of the student’s residence. It doesn’t matter if the school has very few students. If there are students, then there should be a school.”
Mr Darak said the government’s moves that don’t favour public education must be opposed by everyone. “It’s high time that courts take suo motu congnisance of such moves by the govenrment, and deter it from disrespecting the Indian Constitution.”
Iinternational schools
In 2016, the State government had announced that it would be setting up 100 schools across the State that meet international standards. On Thursday, the Education Department issued a Government Resolution (GR) on setting up these schools, which will be renamed Ojas and Tejas.
Mr. Patil said quality of education must be improved in all schools, and not just in these 100 schools.
“While I welcome the move, it must be noted that selectively targeting schools may create an unequal education system. It is important that all schools be improved simultaneously,” he said.
