Falling from 1,30,466 to just 49,295, Chief Minister Sukhu said, “The sharp fall in student enrolment is a matter of grave concern.

Shimla, July 23: In a worrying trend for Himachal Pradesh’s education sector, the state has witnessed a significant drop in student enrolment in government schools over the past two decades, falling from 1,30,466 students in the academic year 2002-2003 to just 49,295 in 2023-24. This massive drop, equivalent to a reduction of nearly 62%, has prompted the Himachal Pradesh government to take serious introspection and action.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu expressed deep concern over the situation while addressing the worrying statistics during a recent meeting with senior officials of the education department. He highlighted that 89 government primary schools and 10 government secondary schools currently have zero enrollment, indicating the critical need for immediate intervention.

“The sharp decline in student enrolment is a matter of grave concern,” CM Sukhu said, stressing the need to understand the underlying reasons behind this trend. He directed the education department to conduct a comprehensive analysis to identify factors contributing to the decline, such as demographic shifts, changing preferences towards private schools or economic factors affecting the rural population.

CM Sukhu underlined the importance of rationalising school operations to make optimum use of resources and ensure effective delivery of education. He urged officials to explore the possibilities of merging schools with low enrolment numbers in order to maintain viable educational institutions that can provide quality education to students across the state.

In response to the crisis, the Himachal Pradesh government is actively taking corrective measures to revive the education sector. There are plans afoot to set up Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools in each assembly constituency, aimed at enhancing access to quality education and holistic development for students. Additionally, the government plans to set up two fully equipped boarding schools in tribal areas like Kinnaur and Spiti to meet specific regional needs.

Emphasising on the ongoing efforts to modernise and streamline educational practices in government schools, Sukhu said, “To mobilise resources and improve school management, we have implemented school clusters and empowered local administrations to take decisions regarding students’ uniforms.”

Besides, the Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen education standards by introducing English medium education from Class 1 in all government schools. The initiative aims to align pedagogical practices with contemporary needs and enhance students’ proficiency in the global language.

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