‘61 govt schools have closed since 2019’

Porvorim: Since 2019, 61 state-run primary schools

have had to shut for want of students, including seven that closed down as result of zero enrolment during the current academic year 2024-25, chief minister Pramod Sawant said in a reply tabled in the assembly on Monday.

Of the govt institutes shut in 2024-25, four were from Bicholim taluka and three from Ponda taluka.

During the previous academic year 2023-24, the number of govt primary schools to shut down due to low enrolment was 14, Sawant’s reply stated. Eleven institutes had to close as a result of zero enrolment in 2022-23, eight in 2021-22, 11 in 2020-21, and 10 in 2019-20, the reply stated.

The state has maintained that it provides free notebooks, raincoats and uniforms to govt primary school students. Each school gets an English teacher to supplement teaching.

However, parents seem to remain sceptical. As per the data of the Union education ministry’s U-DISE (Unified District Information System for Education) report for 2023-24, there are 238 schools in Goa with a single teacher teaching all the classes.

Sawant on Monday said new school buildings are being constructed for 10 govt primary schools across Ponda, Tiswadi, Sattari, Pernem, Bicholim and Quepem, and infrastructure has been upgraded in 67 schools.

The number of govt primary schools has come down to 677 from over 1,000 around a decade ago. Another 100-odd primary schools have enrolment in single digits, indicating that they could be heading towards the same fate.

Some point out that facilities such as school buses provided to aided schools and relaxation given to some aided schools in 2012 to operate as English medium schools with continued govt grants are also affecting enrolment in regional language state primary schools.