In an unexpected development, 16 schools and junior colleges in Pune district have been closed down in the last two years due to a complete lack of admissions. Despite Pune's reputation as the 'Oxford of the East,' certain talukas and areas, including Daund, Haveli, Mulshi, Shirur, Velhe, Aundh, Bibwewadi, Hadapsar, and Pimpri, have witnessed schools with zero students on board, as reported by Hindustan Times.
These educational institutions, which include J J International School, D Y Patil International School, P Jog, and a school in the Daund taluka state social welfare department, have faced closure due to the absence of takers for admission. The majority of these schools are self-financed, while three are privately subsidized.
According to Hindustan Times, the State Education Department has taken a decisive step in response to this concerning trend. Schools with zero students on board are now slated for closure, and the department has directed the removal of their names from the Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) portal.
Pune Divisional Deputy Director of Education, Rajendra Ahire, issued orders to the relevant education authorities to execute the removal of these schools from the U-DISE portal. Most of these institutions have not seen a single student admission in the past academic year or the current one, prompting the decision to close them down.
It is noteworthy that some schools, although not officially closed, face a similar fate due to delays in providing student information. Until these schools commence the process of student registration, their U-DISE portal data reflects zero students, categorizing them as institutions with no students on board, revealed HT.
