Shimla – The Himachal Pradesh government has announced a series of significant measures aimed at reorganizing schools with low student enrollments and enhancing the quality of education across the state. In a decisive move, the government has ordered the immediate closure of 99 schools that have zero students. This includes 89 primary schools and 10 secondary schools.
As part of the restructuring, the government has mandated the merging of primary schools with five or fewer students with nearby primary or secondary schools that have more than five students, provided they are within a two-kilometer radius. Similarly, secondary schools with five or fewer students will be merged with other secondary schools within a three-kilometer radius. This initiative aims to consolidate resources and provide better educational facilities and learning environments for students.
Teacher Transfers and Assignments
In a significant policy change, teacher transfers will now be limited to once a year, at the end of the academic session. Effective immediately, no teacher will be transferred after July 31, 2024. Junior Basic Teachers (JBT) and Head Teachers (HT) will be transferred within the education department, ensuring only one HT per Government Primary School (GPS). Additionally, HTs will take on teaching responsibilities alongside their administrative duties.
Teachers from closed or merged schools will be reassigned to nearby schools with higher student populations, following approval from the Secretary of Education. Excess teachers will be pooled at the director level and redistributed as needed to balance the student-teacher ratio effectively.
Headmasters and principals currently holding administrative posts will now be required to teach their subjects in at least one class. Central Head Teachers and Head Teachers of primary schools will also engage in teaching duties equivalent to those of JBTs, with their teaching contributions recorded in their Annual Confidential Reports (ACR).
The government has also introduced mandatory physical exercises during morning prayer assemblies in all state schools, with at least 15 minutes dedicated to these activities. Physical education teachers will oversee these sessions, and in schools without dedicated physical education staff, other teachers will assume this responsibility. Additionally, there will be a daily period dedicated to sports and physical training, and schools will provide training in CPR and first aid.
Utilization of Closed School Properties and Pilot Residential Schools
The immovable properties and resources of closed or merged schools will not be transferred to other institutions or departments. Instead, these resources will be repurposed as community libraries, gymnasiums, and centers for sports activities, with permission from the Education Department and consent from local bodies.
In districts with notably low student numbers, such as Lahaul and Spiti (121 primary schools) and Kinnaur (29 primary schools), the government plans to explore the possibility of establishing residential schools. A pilot project for these residential schools will be initiated in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts.
Additionally, separate boys’ and girls’ schools with declining enrollments will be merged into co-educational institutions where feasible. This merger aims to optimize the use of available resources and improve the quality of education.
The Education Secretary has directed the Director of Primary Education to implement these decisions and prepare standard operating procedures to ensure compliance.
