MYSURU: The Covid pandemic has cast a pall of gloom over enrolment of students in schools in the backward Chamarajanagar district.Many parents, fearing the safety of their wards, have not even got their children admitted to higher classes. Though the government had set a deadline of September 30 for admission and then extended it till October 16, around 4,605 students are still missing from the rolls in the current academic year.
Worried about the trend, officials are trying to convince parents to enrol their children in schools. According to sources, the number of admissions has come down by 129 in government schools, 1,164 in aided schools and 2,582 in unaided schools. The student strength in Chamarajanagar for 2020-21 is 1,22,389 as against 1,26,994 for 2019-20.
Parents say that they are ready to lose a year rather than put their children at risk, and seem to think that the government will promote their children like last year. A parent, pleading anonymity, said his daughter wants to join school, but poor financial condition has tied his hands. “I will get her enrolled as soon as I get some money,” he said.
Somanna, a teacher, said parents confessed that they don’t have money to get their children admitted. “Many parents have no money to pay the fee or buy books as they are not getting assured income for the last 6-7 months,” he said. Many children are assisting their parents to supplement the family income.
DDPI Javare Gowda said over 4,000 students have not enrolled to schools so far.
“Block education officers have served show-cause notices directing private schools to enrol students, but the numbers have not improved. We have appealed to parents to get their wards admitted to the nearest government school if they find it difficult to pay fee,” he said.Gowda said over 700 students have switched form private to government schools, and BEOs are authorised to give transfer certificates to students to enable them to join schools of their choice.
