Despite Government's all out blandishments to attract children to lower and higher primary schools across the state, it seems it has very little impact on the students as well as the parents. Going by the shocking statistical figures given by the department of public instructions, the number of closing primary schools is alarmingly high year after year. In the last eight years, as many as 117 government lower and higher primary schools in the district have registered zero admissions and 45 schools out of them are closed for the same reason in the last three years. During 2017-18, zero admissions were witnessed in 19 schools all over the district. However, with the increase in the number of students above five over the following year, Ganjalagodu school in Chikkamagaluru taluk, D Hosalli and K Chomanahalli in Kadur taluk, are reopened.
This year, 25 schools have shut down the doors for want of admissions. Though the 45 out of 117 lower and higher primary schools are closed due to zero attendance in the past three years, the department has not officially announced the same with the hope that strength might improve in the coming days. That is why the department officials are not ready to furnish taluk-wise details of the schools closed down.
According to sources in the department, Chikkamagalur has 41 schools with zero admission, followed by Kadur 10, Koppa block 17, Mudigere block 13, NR Pura 14, Sringeri 10, Birur 6 and Tarikere 6 -total coming up to 117. Of 1497 government schools in the district, children admission is languishing. 678 LPS have 30 students, 55 LPS have 50 students and 44 schools have below 50. 174 higher primary schools with 6 and 7 standards have 30 students, followed by 189 with 50 students and 532 schools with 300 students.
In government high schools, 8 have 30 students, 13 HS have 70 students and 314 Highs schools have 300 students.
Speaking to TNIE, DDPI C Prasanna Kumar said that two reasons might be cited for the lack of students in lower and higher primary government schools, "A rise in the number of private schools which require only government recognition for English Medium make money and attraction of English in private schools. Apart from this birth rate in rural areas is largely diminishing. Government 's move to start English medium school in selected schools may show a little bit improvement. Parents pressure for their wards to do learning in English is also partly responsible."
