In view of the declining number of students in the government schools, the education department has undertaken a drive to identify out of the school children in the state and admit them in the government schools. The department alarmed by loss of interest of parents in admitting their children in the government schools and decision of state government to close schools with less students has directed the teachers to initiate enrollment campaign in right earnest. In the campaign, the teachers would visit households in their areas and request the parents to send their wards to the government schools.
The department had asked the education officers to ensure that all the children between age group 6 to 14 are enrolled the schools. During the campaign, the teachers would inform the parents about benefits like Mid Day Meal (MDM), free textbooks, free uniforms and better quality of teachers. Apart from them, the co-curricular activities, sports, scholarship programmes, computer education and child health programmes would also be told by the teachers to the parents.
The enrollment campaign started on January 1 would continue till April 31. The director academic research and training, Seema Jaunsari told The Pioneer that in the first phase the teachers would prepare a list of all such children who are out of the school.
This phase would end on February 15. In the second phase enrollment of the listed children would be done.
Teachers of the schools having less than ten students are taking special interest in the enrollment campaign as they know that further decrease in number of students would lead to closure of their school and their transfer.It is pertinent to mention here that education department was forced to close 800 schools in last 19 years due to low enrollment of students. It is learnt that there are 2800 schools in the state which have less than ten students. The department organises enrollment campaigns every year but these campaigns have failed in delivering desirable results.