National Audit Office releases performance report which investigates low student numbers in certain Govt. schools
View(s):The implementation of special programmes is urgently needed to improve the examination results of certain schools, as exam performance and good results are necessary criteria in enrolling new students, a recent performance audit report by the National Audit Office noted.
The report titled “Performance of the Government Schools in which the number of students relatively minimised” investigated the reasons as to why schools with low students numbers still exist, even after a special project called “the nearest school is the best school” was initiated in recent years.
In selecting a school for their children, parents consider examination results as the main criterion which reflects the performance of a school. If it is a school which has only the primary section, the results of the scholarship examination, were considered and if it is a secondary school, GCE O/L and GCE A/L results were considered.
This factor is mostly affected to admit their children to other distance schools without being admitted to the nearest school. It was an important factor that the successfulness of scholarship examination results and the GCE O/L results were considered in admitting students to schools.
The report found that out of the total number of 10,194 schools, 5,161 schools had less than 200 students. Reasons identified for the existence of schools with low students numbers include, parents not wanting to send their children to small schools, teachers not wanting to teach in small schools, the existence of more developed schools nearby, the existence of isolated villages etc.
In addition, other issues observed in audit include, the inception of new schools in contrary to the criteria introduced by the Education Ministry, causing the closure of other schools situated nearby. Even though related criteria to close such schools existed, action had not been taken to close those schools.
“A tedious attempt has to be made by the principals and teachers of those schools to stop the closing of such schools, as they could not be expected to show improved examination results. Schools are being closed due to under- utilisation of a large extent of land areas, buildings, other physical and human resources, the existence of excess teachers in certain schools, lack of modern physical resources etc. As such the Government has to incur an extensive maintenance cost,” the report noted.