Govt primary schools struggle with enrolment amid teacher shortage

Increasing enrolment in government primary schools for the upcoming academic session will not be an easy task for the Education Department and teachers, given the ongoing staff shortage and growing parental reluctance.

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Currently, 27,600 students are enrolled in government primary schools across Ambala, including those in Bal Vatika. However, this marks a decline from 29,824 students in the 2023-24 academic session to 27,599 in 2024-25. The declining trend has raised concerns over the future of public primary education in the district.

Ambala district has 478 government primary schools, with most having student numbers in double digits, while over 60 schools have students in the triple digits. Government Primary School Baldev Nagar has the highest enrolment, with over 450 students. Conversely, several schools have less than 10 students, with some struggling to retain even a handful.

For instance, GPS Jagoli, Dhanauri, and Ram Nagar each have three students, Panjeto has four, Taprian Ruldu has six, Gobindgarh has seven and GPS Sugral has eight students.

An Education Department official admitted that despite various government schemes and incentives, persuading parents to enrol their children remains a struggle due to the acute shortage of teachers.

"Sincere efforts are being made to improve student strength, but the shortage of teaching staff remains a major concern. Despite multiple facilities being offered, parents hesitate to enrol children because adequate teachers are not available in the schools," the official stated.

Currently, 42 government schools fall under the ‘zero teacher’ category, while 158 schools operate as ‘single teacher’ schools. Though temporary local arrangements have been made to prevent any school from being completely unattended, officials stress the urgent need for more teachers.

Amit Chhabra, state spokesman of Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh Haryana, emphasised that the teacher shortage is one of the main reasons for the drop in student enrolment.

"The shortage of teaching staff has led to declining enrolment. Additionally, teachers are overburdened with non-teaching duties and numerous department-run programmes. These issues have negatively impacted government schools, causing parents to shift their children to private institutions. The government must ensure that no school is closed and should take steps to rebuild public confidence in government schools," he said.

Meanwhile, District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) Sudhir Kalra said a special enrolment campaign will be launched after March 20 to increase student strength in government schools.

"Directions have been issued to Block Education Officers and teachers to run a special campaign after March 20 to boost enrolment in government schools. Students are also being encouraged to inform their neighbours about the benefits and facilities available, so that more parents consider enrolling their children. Officials have been instructed to ensure that no child remains out of school and to focus on strengthening Bal Vatikas," he said.