In Nuh's education paradox, kids fill up classes, not teachers
Nuh: If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a teacher to bring that child to school.
At govt schools in Nuh, classrooms that once yearned for students now overflow with eager learners.
Yet, the teacher's desk often sits empty — a pointer to a system that is struggling to keep pace with its own success.
According to govt data, student enrolment in these schools has surged by almost 30%, from 1.7 lakh in 2018-19 to 2.2 lakh in 2024-25. Girls lead the pack, with their numbers climbing by 41.1%, significantly outpacing the 19.6% increase in boys' enrolment.
This increase in numbers is the result of the state govt's 'zero dropout' mission.
But it faces a critical challenge now — over 50% of primary teaching positions are vacant.
The mission started in 2017, when chemistry lecturer Kusum Malik arrived at Firozpur Chirka Girls School. Concerned by the absence of science stream for girls and high dropout rates, she initiated a village outreach programme that would eventually evolve into a statewide campaign and earn a good governance appreciation letter in 2022.
"Many intelligent girls in the 8th grade from nearby villages were dropping out," recalled Malik.
She started a Facebook post seeking volunteers in Bhond village. But it soon transformed into a community engagement, helping bring 29 dropout girls back to school.
Abdul Rahman Khan, a former clock education officer for Firozpur Chirka and Nagina, highlighted the challenges they faced. "Some people believed that only religious education was sufficient.
But we tried to convince them that they needed to go to school," he added.
The team's persistent efforts gradually shifted community perspectives, encouraging families to embrace modern education along with religious teachings.
The drive, however, faced hurdles during the Covid pandemic, leading to innovative solutions like 'mohalla pathshalas'. "I started a mohalla pathshala at my home with three children," he said.
The initiative expanded to enrol around 10,000 students, with 127 former beneficiaries becoming 'shiksha doot" (education ambassadors).
Nuh's educational infrastructure is, however, struggling to support this growth. Beyond the vacant teaching positions, Nuh lacks a permanent district education officer (DEO), with the role currently assigned to the corresponding official from Gurgaon. Two positions of deputy DEO are yet to be filled, while four out of five block education officer positions are vacant.
The impact is evident in the district's academic performance — Nuh's Class 12 pass rate of 45.7% is the lowest in Haryana this year. "While admission numbers have increased, children are willingly not coming to school as most of the time they don't have teachers in the classroom. If this continues, the mission will be a waste," said a teacher.
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