Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, May 24: In a shocking revelation, at least ‘28 government-run schools in Ladakh Union Territory are functioning with zero student enrolment. The UT is also reeling under an adverse Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR), with 65 schools functioning with a single teacher.
The official documents reveal that out of the total 841 government schools in Ladakh, 28 schools, including 20 primary and 8 upper primary, have zero enrolment.
“316 primary schools have less than 30 enrolment, and two schools have less than 256 enrolment. There are 65 single-teacher schools in the UT. In addition, the number of schools with adverse PTR at the primary level is 23.1%,” the data reveals.
The Government of India (GoI) has urged the UT authorities to examine these schools with low enrollments and adverse PTRs, identify the reasons behind them, and take immediate corrective measures, including rationalising the allocation of teachers.
The documents further reveal that based on Ladakh’s proposal in different years, a total of 48 schools have been approved for skill education under Samagra Shiksha. Out of these approved schools, the UT has been able to implement skill education in 40 schools only, leaving 8 approved schools pending.”
“Further, the current school coverage stands at only 36.92%, with implementation across eight sectors (Apparel, Agriculture, Beauty & Wellness, Electronics & Hardware, Healthcare, Retail, Information Technology and Tourism & Hospitality),” it reads.
The UT was advised to extend the coverage of skill education to the uncovered schools and students by introducing appropriate sectors and job roles.
