West Bengal govt orders verification of zero-enrolment schools

Kolkata, Sept 22 (PTI) The West Bengal government directed district administrations to physically verify schools with zero enrolment and assess the possibility of reviving them or using their infrastructure for other public purposes, a senior official said on Tuesday.

In a memorandum, the department said a number of schools across the state were witnessing zero enrolment, resulting in under-utilisation or idling of educational infrastructure and other assets created through public expenditure.

School Education Minister Dipak Barman on Monday said 933 primary, upper primary and secondary schools had recorded zero enrolment.

"The situation has been alarming for the last 20 years and became particularly acute in the last five years, as 933 schools had to be shut down after recording no student admissions. We are undertaking an inter-departmental exercise," Barman said.

He said the government was also ascertaining the number of teachers available at these schools.

The department has asked district magistrates to constitute committees headed by them, with the district education officer and the district inspector of schools as members.

The committees have been tasked with physically verifying all zero-enrolment schools and preparing an inventory of their infrastructure, including school buildings, classrooms, ancillary facilities, land and other assets.

They will also assess the physical condition and ownership status of the land and buildings, availability of basic amenities and accessibility, besides identifying infrastructure that is lying idle or under-utilised and assessing its suitability for alternative public purposes, said the memorandum dated September 16.

The department has suggested that such infrastructure could be considered for use as training centres, health centres, agricultural and rural development centres, community facilities, public-service facilities or other suitable government or public purposes, in consultation with the concerned departments or authorities.

The committees have, however, been directed to ensure that no child is deprived of schooling facilities and that every child has access to a school.

Where revival of a school is considered feasible, the committees may examine the possibility of its revival or restructuring, the memorandum said.

The department has sought district-wise consolidated reports containing details of each zero-enrolment school and recommendations on continuation or revival of the institution, or alternative utilisation of its infrastructure for suitable public purposes, within 30 days of receipt of the communication.

The proposals will subsequently be examined at the appropriate level and, wherever necessary, a consolidated proposal for revival or alternative utilisation of the infrastructure will be placed before the competent authority, it said.

The memorandum, issued by Additional Chief Secretary Binod Kumar, also refers to suitable utilisation or revival of such assets under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

However, Barman stressed that the government was not in favour of handing over the properties entirely under the PPP model.