Schools Should Have At Least 25 SSLC Students to Survive

BENGALURU: Schools that have less than 25 students in Class 10 (SSLC) will have to shut down if they don’t manage to attract more students in the upcoming academic year.

The Deputy Directors of Public Instruction are insisting that schools that have failed to get at least 25 students for Class 10 should give an undertaking on this. A management representative of a city-based private school told Express, “The DDPIs are insisting that we sign the undertaking on stamp paper.”

This year, the Department of Public Instruction has listed more than 3,000 schools that failed to get Renewal of Recognition (RR) after being given two chances. Consequently, a majority of these schools applied again and got RR, but 189 schools were found to be not eligible as they do not have the student strength. However, considering the interest of students, the department gave another chance to the schools and allowed their SSLC students to appear for the final exams. The schools were warned not to admit students to Class 9 from 2017-18.

D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Karnataka Associated Management of English-medium Schools, said, “We are receiving complaints from schools saying the department officials are forcing them to sign the undertaking. Why do we have to close down the school if we do not have strength this year? That does not mean that we will not get more intake next year. If the government really wants to control schools, let them stop setting up of new schools.”

The managements also asked if the government would apply the same policy to its schools as well. 

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