Mysuru: The State Government’s decision to close Government schools with low student enrolment across Karnataka under ‘hub and spoke model’ has drawn sharp criticism from State educationists and many organisations, who have condemned the move as an attempt to shut down Government Schools.
In education, ‘hub and spoke model’ involves establishing hub institutions, which are specialised vocational training centres, and connecting them to multiple spoke institutions, which are existing government schools in the surrounding areas.
Under the Right To Education (RTE) Act, schools with 1 to 60 students are required to have at least two teachers. However, this mandate is reportedly being ignored. According to Government records, there are 4,767 single-teacher Government schools in Karnataka, where one teacher is expected to manage the entire school.
Nationally, a report by the Union Ministry of Human Resources, presented in the Lok Sabha, states that there are approximately 92,275 single-teacher Government schools across the country. Among these, Madhya Pradesh has the highest number, with 18,307 such schools, while Karnataka ranks sixth.
Critics argue that the State Government has failed to draw students back to Government schools by improving the quality of education. Additionally, teacher appointments in Government schools have been minimal, exacerbating the problem.
In some cases, due to insufficient staffing, Class 1 students are being forced to sit with Class 5 students to listen to lessons.
The State Government’s recent decision to merge schools with low enrolment with nearby schools to form a combined ‘hub and spoke model’ has sparked further debate.
As part of this plan, the Government has set up an Education Improvement Committee under the Chairmanship of the local MLAs.
DDPI clarifies
Meanwhile, DDPI Javaregowda stated that he has not yet received any official communication from the State government regarding the implementation of the ‘hub and spoke model.’
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