WB Government Considers Revival Options After Shutting 933 Zero-Enrolment Schools

West Bengal School Closure: The West Bengal government has undertaken a review to check 933 state-aided primary. It involves the upper-primary and secondary schools which had been closed owing to having no enrollments for 5 to 20 years. As per the official memorandum issued by the School Education Department, district magistrates have been directed to form district level committees to carry out physical inspections of such closed schools within 30 days. 

It is the main task of such committees to examine whether it is possible to revive and reorganise the defunct schools without compromising the education of the children in the locality. Wherever it is not possible to reopen such schools owing to changes in population trends or demand, the state government wishes to carry out audits of physical properties, such as schools building, classrooms and land properties. Such public properties will then be reused by the state government for offering utility services to the community members, primary health care services, skill development centers and vocational centers.

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What Did The Officials Say?

Education Minister Dipak Barman of West Bengal School stated that 933 aided schools had been inspected based on their zero enrolment from 5 years to 20 years of duration. He pointed out that by allowing the schools to remain unutilized, there had been heavy deterioration in the physical form of precious public property such as land, buildings, and playgrounds. Government has formed the committees at the district level headed by the District Magistrate to assess these pieces of property and explore the possibility of inter-departmental utilization of these lands for the benefit of public utility purposes like health centers or training centers.

Schools Can Be Redeveloped or Utilised for Other Purposes

Below are the few suggestion given by the government to develop the schools and  utilise it for other purposes:

• The state government has also recommended that the unutilised infrastructure of such schools. It can be utilised for making it into training centers, health centers, agricultural and rural development centers, community centers or other public service centers.

• But according to the memorandum, where it seems feasible to revive the schools, the committees can explore the scope of revival or restructuring of the schools. It has also been instructed by the department that in no case should any child remain deprived of school facilities while thinking about the future of such institutions.

• District-wise reports containing the detail of each zero enrolment school along with suggestion for continuance, revival or utilisation of infrastructure of such institution for some other public purposes have been demanded from the state government.

• Such report has to be sent within 30 days of receiving the communication and then the proposals will be studied at relevant level and placed before the concerned authority if necessary.

• There is also the possibility of suitable utilization or revival of such assets through public private partnership (PPP) model. But Barman told that the government does not want such properties to be handed over to the private sector under the PPP model.

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