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Bhubaneswar: The state government has shut down 165 primary schools in 26 districts, most of which are in scheduled areas, for having less than five enrollments in each.
According to the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, children of such closed schools shall not be deprived of education as a result of the closure. They shall be shifted to nearby schools and in case of tribal districts they shall get alternative arrangements like transport facilities.
However, neither the mass education department nor the district administrations have taken steps to shift the students to nearby schools. Ironically, several schools have been closed despite good attendance. According to a fact-finding report of Child Rights Knowledge and Activist Hub of Action-Aid, schools like Mallick Pada Primary School in Kandhmal, Modipara Upper Primary School in Sambalpur, Dhabakhol Primary School in Sundargarh and Barabakhara Project Primary School in Bargarh were closed though they had more than five students each. These schools had a combined strength of 47 students.
Children of these schools were shifted to institutions between 3-km and 5-km although the distance norm suggests a distance of one kilometre and if it is more, the administration should provide transport and escort facilities for such students. The NGO report said distance of the nearby school from Kurumuni Primary School in Kandhmal is 5-km. Other mentioned schools are also situated far away from new schools.
“The schools were closed on the basis of their attendance and report of district committees. The children were provided transport facility if the school is more than one kilometre away. However, we will look into the matter,” said a senior official of school and mass education department.
Arrangements like transport and assigning a Sikshya Sahayak to take the children to schools is mandatory to ensure that the students do not quit studies. Even villagers have the power to reopen closed schools if there are adequate numbers of students.
Interestingly, the district administrations did not honour minutes of meetings of school management panels or of Gram Sabhas suggesting closure, merger with nearby schools, transport and escorting facilities, transfer of infrastructure and possibility of reopening of the schools.
“The situation may be similar in most of the listed schools. No one has thought it proper to consult the villagers before deciding to close the schools, which violate the spirit of panchyat extension to Schedule Area Act,” stated Ghasiram Panda of Child Rights Knowledge and Activist Hub of Action-Aid.
