Udupi: The Anjar Government Higher Secondary School has only 5 students despite the many facilities and support that the Government has provided to Kannada medium Govt. Schools.
Speaking to News Karnataka, the staff said that – ‘the government provides enough facilities and incentives like mid-day meal, free uniforms and free textbooks for the students to draw students to studying in Kannada medium govt. schools, yet, few children turn up for admission”.
The growth in the number of English Medium Schools is assumed to have had its share of impact on the downturn in admissions to Govt. Schools. Parents show little interest to send their children to these Govt schools such as Anjar government higher secondary school at Ontibettu village near Hiriyadka continues.
Presently there are 4 teachers for 5 students in the school – a boy in the third standard, another in the fifth, a girl in the sixth and two in the seventh standard are the only students left in this school. But the School has a history to be proud of – it has served the locality for more than 100 years celebrating its “Shathamanothsava” with the grandeur it deserved. Within four years of its “Shathamanothsava, it is on the verge of closure. Its infrastructure of 7 classrooms, a strong building, a good play ground and teachers is about to go to waste.
“Last year there was one admission, while this year there have been no admissions” said the school staff. All the students are made to sit in one class room now.”
In order to help the school continue its noble mission, the Government is planning to merge the Morarji Vasathi School, Alavoor to Anjar government higher secondary school. The school will be made higher primary school (classes till 5) then a higher secondary school. The students in 6th and 7th standard will be shifted to Hiryadka higher secondary school provided with transportation charges.
The School staff is in mission mode. Until June 30th they are visiting individual households to make a pitch to parents to admit their kids to government schools. If they fail in their mission, it is expected that, 2 staff will be retained while the rest will have to transfer out to other schools. “We will try our maximum to prevent the school from shutting down. The education department will do the needful” said Ashok Kamath, Education Officer in the Department of Public Instruction.
