A total of 6,127 schools in Himachal Pradesh are functioning with a student strength of less than 20, state Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj informed the Vidhan Sabha Friday.
“There are schools having a single student as well, and 80 schools have a strength less than five. Even in such schools, teaching takes place and mid-day meals are prepared. In some cases, children of migrant labourers are enrolled in these schools,” the minister said in a written reply, adding that under the Right to Education Act, there should be a school within a 1.5 km radius of each child’s habitation provided that the school has a minimum enrolment of 25 students.
As per the reply tabled in the House during Question Hour, there are 4,994 primary, 1,092 middle, 32 high and nine senior secondary schools with a strength below 20. Bhardwaj was replying to a question posed by Jawalamukhi MLA Ramesh Chand Dhawala.
Bhardwaj said that the department will attempt a “rationalisation” of student and faculty strength and also start a cluster scheme for schools. “In 2018, a survey by the State Council of Education Research and Training suggested that children enrolled in pre-primary classes of private schools prefer to continue their education in those schools at the primary level as well. The state government then launched pre-primary classes in more than 3,700 schools which improved our enrolment by 50,000,” said the minister.
