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Send wards to govt schools or lose facilities

Even as the initiatives of the Himachal Pradesh (HP) government in routine to increase enrollment in the state run schools…

Send wards to govt schools or lose facilities

Virbhadra Singh (PHOTO: SNS)

Even as the initiatives of the Himachal Pradesh (HP) government in routine to increase enrollment in the state run schools have not borne desired results, a Panchayat in Bilaspur district of the state has taken a tough stand on the issue.

The Rohin Panchayat in Ghumarwin in Bilaspur district of the state has made it mandatory for the locals to send their wards to the government or else, lose the benefits under government schemes.

The benefits include subsidised ration, facilities under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Integrated Rural Development Scheme (IRDP).

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The Rohin Panchayat, around 120 km from here, has passed a resolution, banning the beneficiaries of the government schemes from sending their wards to private schools.

“The gram sabha in its meeting held in April has decided to encourage families of the area to send their children to government schools,” Pradhan of Rohin Gram Panchayat Ramesh Chand Thakur toldThe Statesman.

“Over the years, we have observed that the enrollment rate in government schools in our area has fallen drastically. There are four government schools here and the number of students in two of them is as low as 8 to 9 students,” he said.

In the two primary schools, there was not even a single admission in this academic session which forced the Panchayat to bring the resolution in Gram Sabha.

“If there is no enrollment in these schools, the government would be forced to close down these schools ultimately. This will also reduce the number of teachers and fewer opportunities for youth to get job in government sector as teacher,” said the Pradhan.

“I have visited government and private schools in our area and have observed that government schools are far much better and provide better facilities than the private ones,” he said.

Thakur said it has been seen that almost every family wants themselves to be included in BPL, IRDP and APL list to avail subsidised ration and other facilities. While they are not inclined to send their children to government schools. “In view of this trend, all members of our panchayat brought a resolution in the meeting of Gram Sabha and it was unanimously passed by all by voice vote,” he said.

Thakur even urged the HP government to bring a policy or issue directions and make it mandatory for beneficiaries of government schemes to enroll their children in government schools.

It is worth mentioning here that all the members of Rohin Panchayat are leading the people of the area by example as their children are enrolled in government schools.

The enrollment rate in government schools in HP had fallen to 55 per cent in 2015-16 from 89 per cent in 2003-04 and the state Education department had asked teachers to start interaction programmes with local communities to increase it.

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