The Department of Pre-University Education has closed five government PU colleges in Hassan district, following a dip in admission in the last few years. While admissions to private PU colleges located in urban localities are on the rise, government colleges in rural areas are facing shortage in admissions.
The five colleges were located at Chakenahalli in Holenarsipur taluk, Dudda, Kabbatti in Hassan taluk, Srinivasapura in Channarayapatna taluk, and Vanaguru in Sakleshpur taluk. The strength in all these colleges was less than 10 each, according to B.C. Jayadevaiah, Deputy Director of PU Education. The admission to I PU for 2016-17 in three of the five colleges was zero. Besides these five, another college Kembalu in Channarayapatna taluk was closed last year owing to no students. The department is set to relocate the teaching staff and students to the nearest colleges.
The officers noticed that the decrease in admission in rural colleges was owing to students being attracted to colleges in urban localities. “We had a good old college in Dudda. But in the last few years, students from neighbouring villages preferred to join colleges in Hassan. Students said they wanted to study in urban colleges,” he said. Parents also preferred urban colleges. These days, students get bus passes so they can reach colleges in cities with little expense, he said. The district had 89 government PU colleges and with the closure of six in two years, the number stands at 83. Besides, 26 aided and 50 unaided colleges are functioning in the district. Even as government colleges are being closed, the number of private unaided colleges has been on the rise.
