Many government primary schools in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are facing a situation in which not a single student has enrolled for Class I (first grade) during the current academic year. Sources at the Directorate of Public Instruction said the statistics till June 30 have confirmed that no student has applied for admission to first grade in 55 government primary schools in DK and Udupi.
A few students have enrolled in some other schools where classes have started. If the current trend continues, primary schools will have to be closed down in future, sources added. Zero admissions for Class I have been recorded in 24 schools in DK, including two schools in Puttur taluk, four in Bantwal, three in Belthangady, two in Mangaluru North, two in Mangaluru South, three in Moodbidri and eight schools in Sullia taluk, as stated in a report by PTI.
However, DK Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) R Dayanand said there is still time left for admissions and children are likely to join Class I. The class-wise data accumulation process is underway, he added.
Situation in Udupi
In the Udupi district as well, zero admissions for Class I have been recorded in 31 schools. These include four schools in Udupi, four in Brahmavar, five in Kundapura, nine in Byndoor and nine schools in Karkala taluk.
As per Udupi DDPI B Ganapati, the environment in government schools is complementary to quality education and parents should be made aware of this. "Everyone should take the initiative to send their children to schools in their respective villages and preserve the institutions," he said.
Experts in the field say the parents are not willing to send their wards to government schools keeping in mind the strong presence of English medium schools in almost all localities. "They also provide bus services for children to their doorstep which attracts parents," they said.
