Schools Lacking ‘Sustainable’ Enrolment Will Be Merged With Nearby Schools: Assam Education Minister – News18

Data shared by Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu revealed that 25 government schools in the state have no students. While discussing the number of schools with fewer than 15 and 30 students enrolled, the minister stated that those with ‘sustainable’ enrolment will be merged with nearby schools, careers 360 reported. “No school is closed and no student is deprived of education. Schools without sustainable enrollment will be merged if they are nearby. Data on the number of schools with 15 and less than 30 pupils are given below,” Pegu posted on X (formally Twitter).

As per the data, which includes primary, upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary government along with provincialised schools, Dima Hasao district has the highest number of zero enrolment schools (17), followed by Karbi Anglong with seven such schools.

The statistics provided by Pegu, shows, about 3,536 schools in Assam have up to 15 children enrolled in each. In addition, around 31 schools have only one child, while 65 schools have three. Furthermore, there are 132 schools with five students each, and 327 schools with ten students each. Further in the data, there are about 397 schools each that have a total enrollment of 15 students.

Based on the data, the Dima Hasao district has the most number of such schools. Furthermore, almost 500 schools in the state have classrooms with 16 students each, while 626 schools have classes with 30 students each. There are 7,736 schools with enrollments ranging from 16 to 30 students.

On the other hand, under the Prime Minister’s (PM) Poshan project, the Assam government has begun distributing three eggs per week to each child in the mid-day meal of schools in the state’s tea garden areas.

According to Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, the state government has begun three eggs each week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) under PM Poshan in 2,429 tea garden schools, covering 2,49,042 children, beginning from September 18, 2023.

Assam Education Minister Pegu met and joined the children of Amchong Tea Estate Model School in Kamrup-Metro district for a mid-day meal on September 18, as per ANI.

In July, 2023, the Assam Cabinet approved the inclusion of eggs in the mid-day meal supplied in the tea garden districts’ schools. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also shared the same on X (formally Twitter) stating that along with nutritious meals, they are rapidly expanding educational infrastructure in tea garden locations.