The education for the poor section will become so expensive in Ladakh that many will succumb to the system, and the number of left-out students may increase. Neither am I a conspiracy theorist, nor am I a soothsayer. But empirical evidence about the government in Ladakh is not a good sign for society. UDISE data 2023-24 reports that Ladakh has identified 35 zero-enrollment schools, 21 schools with teachers that have zero enrollments, and 83 schools with single teachers. Consolidating all these categories, the number of schools becomes 139.

What If Schools Shut in Villages?

I am not sure about the other dynamics of changes invited by the closure of schools in villages, but one thing is clear: the cost of education for poor and low-socio-economic backgrounds is becoming the biggest challenge in the coming years. Those who cannot afford to send their children to private schools may succumb to such changes, and the dropout rate of children at the elementary level may rise again. I am not hitting the target in a dark, but the UDISE 2023-24 data informs us of such numbers. In the single-teacher schools alone, 733 students are studying. If these schools shut down, where will these students go, and how will they access education?

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The Issue of Single-Teacher Schools

The issue is not complex to understand. If we observe the schools located in our locality or villages, most of the primary schools are either closed or surviving with a single student and teacher. Single-teacher schools are those that function with only one teacher and have no option to remain open if the lone teacher is absent. The number of such schools in Ladakh has increased alarmingly to 83. All these schools are either closed, merged, or going to close, as reported in the meeting of the Project Approval Board (PAB) UT Ladakh 2023-24. Page 4 of the report quotes, “However, single-teacher schools have been merged with nearby schools, and rationalization has been initiated by LAHDCs.”

Why Is This Happening?

There are multiple dimensions to analyze the factors behind this issue. However, the major factor is that government schools have failed to win the trust of parents and the community. Moreover, teachers appointed in these primary and middle schools often lack formal training and may fail to deliver content effectively. Low enrollment in such schools is also a concern for parents, as they feel their children are not getting adequate opportunities for socialization.

Additionally, the unwanted migration trend among the middle class toward urban areas further intensifies these challenges. This is evident in the data: despite government schools accounting for 84.52% of the total schools, they hold only 46.38% of total enrollments. In contrast, private schools make up just 11.45% of schools but account for 52.37% of total enrollments. This vast gap in enrollment data indicates that government schools in Ladakh have failed—and continue to fail—to secure a significant place in the educational market.

Whom to Blame?

This is a collective failure of all stakeholders. The state lacks a vision to retain students in rural schools, instead opting to merge and club small schools without any proper merging policy. Parents, on the other hand, succumb to societal pressures, while students have no choice but to go where their parents decide. Socio-religious organizations have also failed to make a meaningful impact on society, and the state has failed to leverage these organizations to spread awareness about the benefits of government schools.

Does Community Involvement Matter?

There is no hard-and-fast rule or formula to determine whether community involvement will help retain students in schools. However, I provide two anecdotes to support my argument that if the state sincerely mobilizes the community, these schools can be revived, and communities have the potential to breathe life into lifeless schools. One anecdote is about Government Middle School Titi Chumik (UDISE: 37080100306), which impressively increased its enrollment from 9 students in 2020-21 to 52 in 2023-24. In this case, the community played a crucial role in improving school enrollment. Another example is the Movement for Educational Improvement in Government Schools (MEIGS), a community-based initiative in the Shakar-Chiktan Tehsil. MEIGS worked to enhance enrollment in several government schools in the region. Among these is High School Hagnis (UDISE: 37080500605). In 2019-20, the school had an enrollment of 25 students. After MEIGS intervened, they successfully added 18 more students, bringing the current enrollment to 43. These two cases help contextualize the critical role of community involvement in the education system and improve enrollment in government schools.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Voice of Ladakh or its editorial team.