States » EastPosted at: Sep 28 2026 11:29PM


Seven enrolled, none in class: Malda girls’ school under scrutiny

Malda, Sep 28 (UNI) A government-aided girls’ school in the heart of West Bengal's Malda town has come under scrutiny over extremely low student enrolment, teacher attendance and the lack of regular classroom teaching.
The Central School for Girls on B.S. Road in English Bazar caters to students from Classes V to VIII. According to local sources, only seven girls are enrolled at the school, including just one student in Class V. However, no students were found on the premises during an inspection on Monday.
The inspection was carried out by AI of Schools S Pramanik after reports of irregular functioning appeared in the media. There were also allegations that the school remained closed on some days and that teachers, even when present, sometimes signed the attendance register and left without conducting classes.
Pramanik inspected the school and checked its records, documents and attendance registers. Of the four teachers and one clerk attached to the institution, only one teacher and the clerk were present. The other teachers were reportedly on leave or assigned examination duty at other schools.
The absence of students, however, drew the most attention during the inspection.
Pramanik said all relevant records had been examined and the matter would be brought to the notice of higher authorities, who would decide on the next course of action.
English teacher Jhuma Besra acknowledged that the school was facing a serious problem with student attendance.
“We keep calling the guardians and asking them to send their daughters to school, but nobody comes. As a result, this is the situation,” she said.
Besra also said that she had left the school during duty hours on one occasion after falling ill, but maintained that the school being completely locked up was not appropriate.
The incident has raised broader questions about student enrolment, teacher deployment and the use of public resources. An official associated with the inspection said the situation at the B.S. Road school might not be an isolated one.
“This is nothing but the tip of the iceberg. There are several schools in different districts, both in urban and rural areas, where institutions are technically functioning but have very few students and face serious attendance and operational problems,” the official said.
The case has also brought the future of schools with very low enrolment into focus, including whether such institutions should be reorganised, merged or allowed to continue in their existing form.
For now, the situation at the Malda school remains stark: seven students officially enrolled, none present during the inspection, and a school struggling to sustain regular classroom activity. UNI MBN NST CDS
Tags: #Seven enrolled# none in class: Malda girls’ school under scrutiny
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