Mita Mukherjee

The Bengal government is planning to merge some of the state-aided schools which have very low enrolment, state education minister, Bratya Basu said.

The state government is conducting a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) survey and the merger of the schools will be done on the basis of the findings of the study, the minister said.

“ There are many schools which do not have enough students. The PTR survey is in progress. The study is about to be completed. Many schools will be merged on the basis of the study,” the minister said inaugurating the English-medium section of Chetla  Boys’ school, a state-aided institution in Kolkata.

Two local schools will be merged with the Chetla Boys’ School for lack of students. Similarly, many more will be merged, the minister said.

A report of a study held by the Union education ministry on the rate of dropout in schools in the 2023-24 academic year said that the percentage of dropouts at the secondary level is almost 18 per cent in Bengal which is nearly nine percent higher than 2022-23 and also more than the national average.

The Union ministry’s report was based on the data provided by the respective state governments.

The dropout rate in Bengal at the secondary level had been on the rise since the pandemic. According to the minister, poor financial condition of guardians was one of the reasons but the rate of dropout could have been reduced if the mid-day meal scheme was extended till Class X.

Mid-day meal is presently provided to students from Classes I to VIII. Sixty percent of the expenses of the mid-day meal are provided by the Centre and the remaining by the respective state government.

The central government report states that the dropout rate at the primary (I to V) and upper primary (VI to VIII) levels is zero, the 2023-24 report states.

The minister said this trend indicates that the dropout rate at the secondary level (XI and X) could have been less if the mid-day meal facility was extended till Class X.

 Basu, however, said that he has not read the report and he will be in a position to comment on it after studying it. “ I have to study the report. I cannot say that the report is flawless. We will act on it after examining it in detail.”

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