PORVORIM: Against the backdrop of closure of some govt primary schools with nil enrollments and the case of other such schools having poor student strength, the State government has expressed its willingness to merge schools with poor enrollment of students with aided schools. However, CM Pramod Sawant remarked that the proposed move should not be politicised.
“We are ready to merge government schools with low students’ enrollment with the aided schools but there should be no opposition. There have been criticisms in the pasts about closure of such schools with some parents opposing the move and at times, some in the villages, pick it up to make it a political issue,” he said during the Question Hour.
The CM, who also the holds Education portfolio, was replying to a proposal by Congress legislator Pratapsingh Rane about merging a govt high school in his constituency with another school, situated at a closure distance.
“I teach Marathi and English at one school, located very close to a government high school where there are hardly any students. When students’ strength is less, hand it over to the private schools. Government should pay attention,” he suggested during a discussion on a starred question tabled by Sanguem MLA Prasad Gaonkar.
Sawant reiterated that he favours the merger of govt schools with aided schools, situated close to each other. “It could be carried out just the way we merge government to government schools,” he added citing a similar instance in his constituency. “I agree (about merger of schools) in the interest of students provided there is no opposition,” he commented.
With several govt schools also reeling under teachers’ shortage, he said that the recently recruited 182 primary teachers will be posted at the schools within eight days. Similarly, the HSSs will also get new teachers within six months. “The shortage of primary teachers will be solved within eight days as the 182 just-appointed teachers will be deputed. In classes where students’ strength is 22 and above, we will depute two teachers,” he said.
The entry will pave way for promotions, which Sawant said will fix the vacuum in the high schools and higher secondary schools.
Gaonkar had sought to know if the govt was aware of the shortage of teachers in the govt primary to higher secondary schools at Sanguem, to which the CM had replied in the positive.
