9,503 government schools in the State have 20 or less children studying in them.

Bengaluru: We simply need to bring children back to school, especially to these schools. A total of 688 primary schools in the State have no students! But that’s not all, 9,503 government schools in the State have 20 or less children studying in them.

In Bengaluru city alone, there are 211 government, 11 aided, and 137 unaided or private schools with enrolment of 20 or less children.

As per the latest District Information System for Education 2014-2015 data, of the 688 schools that include lower primary and upper primary classes, 535 are government schools, 138 unaided and 15 aided, and among the under 20 students schools, 56 are aided and 805 unaided. Of the 9,503 government schools, the highest number is in Hassan district and the lowest in Gadag district. Teachers from government and aided schools that have zero students have been deputed to other schools to teach.

Commissioner for Public Instruction Mohammad Mohsin said the department had even written to the government asking what needed to be done in schools with no students. He added that Education Department officials have been urged to chalk out a plan in schools that have less than 20 students.