Pandemic Impact: Over 1,500 Small Schools Shut In Karnataka, Private School Body Says

Pandemic impact In Karnataka: Over 1,500 small private schools were shut down in the last two years due to the pandemic, said Recognised Unaided Private Schools Association (RUPSA)

Representative image. (Image: ABP Desam)

New Delhi: With many sectors have been crippled due to the Covid-19 triggered pandemic in a little over the last two years, education is one such sector that was majorly hit as a result situation of several schools across the country has been thrown into jeopardy. The risk of children being exposed to coronavirus was high, schools were forced to toggle to online mode from offline mode.

In Karnataka, over 1,500 small private schools were shut down in the last two years due to the pandemic, said Recognised Unaided Private Schools Association (RUPSA), the Times of India reported. The private school body reportedly said that the student enrollment has dipped as the schools remained shut and this has a direct impact on the schools' financial condition.

“While the number of private schools was around 20,536 in 2020-21, it has dropped to around 19,000 in 2021-22. This is the date we have derived from the Student Achievement Tracking System maintained by the government," president of RUPSA, Lokesh said as quoted by the Times of India.

Earlier in March, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education BC Nagesh said that over 950 schools were shut down in the last two years. Besides, 287 government and 138 government-aided schools had zero enrollments in the same period.

Meanwhile, private schools complained that there was no support from the government.