Drive launched to up enrollment in government schools

BELAGAVI

Department of school education and literacy has launched a campaign titled, ‘Our School Our Responsibility’, to increase enrollment in government schools in the current academic year. The department's 1-month special enrolment drive began on June 1 and aims to increase enrolment in schools, bring back dropouts and attract children to government schools. The Nippani Taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishad unit organised another special programme to save Kannada schools in the border areas through a campaign named ‘Sahitya Parishad Steps Towards Border Schools'. Free textbooks and uniforms were distributed to students in government schools on the first day itself. Priority was given to providing basic facilities in schools, including infrastructure and teachers. Around 1,400 guest teachers are being recruited in primary schools and 280 guest teachers in high schools in the Belagavi educational district.

Leelavati Hiremath, Deputy Director of the Department, Belagavi, said many factors inspired the drive along with the objective of social responsibility, ensuring that no child is deprived of education.

RS Seetaram, Deputy Director of Department, Chikodi, said all efforts are being made to save Kannada schools in the border area, and the enrollment drive is a part of these efforts. Our aim is to provide basic facilities to the schools, hire teachers, increase the attendance of children, and improve the quality of learning. It is true that there is an enrolment drive only in government schools.

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Prof Mithun Ankale, Secretary of Kannada Sahitya parishad, said more than 15 government Kannada primary schools were closed due to the lack of children, and many more government primary schools are on the verge of closure due to lack of children, teachers, and infrastructure. With the help of donors, work is being done to provide basic infrastructure to schools and learning materials to children.