Staring us in the face as we celebrate Children's Day this year in Karnataka is the Government's decision to close down schools that have an enrolment of less than five students.

Ironically, this process is under way even as the country has just about begun implementing the Right to Education Act that promises every single child in the country eight years of free and compulsory education.

As many as 590 primary and 27 higher primary schools in Karnataka have less than five children this year. Government schools with less than 10 children enrolled in them numbered 2,557 in 2010-11.

Not new

In 2009-10, 485 government lower primary schools were closed for lack of numbers, suggesting that school closure is not an altogether new development. According to the former Director of Public Instruction, T.M. Kumar, closure of schools has been an annual phenomenon for the last 15 years. The decline in government school enrolments between 2006 and 2011 is shown in ‘Education in Karnataka 2010-11, An Analytical Report' compiled by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

Admissions to schools run by the Education Department fell from 63.31 lakh in 2006 to 54.54 lakh in 2011. Enrolments in unaided schools in the same period rose from 23.08 lakh to 28.77 lakh.

The most commonly cited reason for dwindling enrolment in government schools is the increasing preference for English-medium schools run by private managements. This is an undeniable phenomenon, even in smaller towns and hobli headquarters, a result of the nature of the employment market post-economic liberalisation.

However, a closer look at the ground situation shows a host of more fundamental factors have contributed to government schools losing their sheen, which point to the failure of the Government to ensure quality education and infrastructure in the remotest parts of the state.

The set of stories The Hindu is presenting in this edition of ‘State of Affairs' holds a mirror to these. They show that problems of connectivity, teacher absenteeism, poor quality teaching, improper mid-day meal scheme implementation, and permissions granted to start too many private schools are factors that contribute in a big way to the falling enrolment.

Most parents and teachers are opposed to the closure of schools and are willing to cooperate in any way they can to retain the schools in their villages. What is worrying is that some say that sending children, especially girls, to faraway schools is hard even if transport is provided.

Their unequivocal demand is for government schools that offer not just free meals and books, but also quality education that ensures students a bright future. This demand is heard loud and clear, especially from sections that were historically denied educational opportunities.