Monday, August 6, 2007 (New Delhi)
While many in India speak about the need for 100 per cent literacy and crores are pumped into schemes like the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, a government survey has unearthed some disturbing new facts and figures.
According to Elementary Education in India 2005-06, a report prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), over 32,000 schools or almost 3 per cent schools do not have a single student.
Forty-eight per cent of these schools, mostly at the primary level, are in rural areas.
The survey covered over 11 lakh schools in 35 states and union territories and found that Karnataka was the worst with almost 8,000 schools without a single student.
The survey also found 6 per cent schools had less than 25 students, mostly in Bihar, Delhi, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.
The low enrollment is not surprising.
A school in Rewai village in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh has been closed ever since it was built. The village has a school, but no students and since there are no students, there are no teachers either.
''People come to the school premises to relieve themselves as it always remains closed,'' complained a student.
Twenty-three thousand schools don't have a single teacher and more than a lakh schools had just one teacher.
Schools also end up being without any students because they are set up in inaccessible areas.
According to Elementary Education in India 2005-06, a report prepared by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), over 32,000 schools or almost 3 per cent schools do not have a single student.
Forty-eight per cent of these schools, mostly at the primary level, are in rural areas.
The survey covered over 11 lakh schools in 35 states and union territories and found that Karnataka was the worst with almost 8,000 schools without a single student.
The survey also found 6 per cent schools had less than 25 students, mostly in Bihar, Delhi, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.
The low enrollment is not surprising.
A school in Rewai village in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh has been closed ever since it was built. The village has a school, but no students and since there are no students, there are no teachers either.
''People come to the school premises to relieve themselves as it always remains closed,'' complained a student.
Twenty-three thousand schools don't have a single teacher and more than a lakh schools had just one teacher.
Schools also end up being without any students because they are set up in inaccessible areas.
Opinion:
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This is the news in all the news papers put in somewhat the same manner.
There arent any students in these schools because they are set up in inaccesible areas.
But take the other way.If these schools were set up in the most busiest parts of the country,then we would be reading the news"...what about the students in the inaccesibles areas.How do they have to struggle to attend the school everyday?.."this would be attached with statistics related to the literacy rate in these same inaccesible regions .
But whose mistake is this?
Is it the mistake of the people in those regions who believe they can live better if their children work somewhere rather than attending these schools?
Is it the inefficiency of the governments which made 23000 schools remain without any teachers..n failed to show what a school is really built for?
or is it as the newspapers speak because these schools were chosen to be built in the areas where there are no students to attend them?
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Disqus Comment
This Saturday I had been on a most memorable trip to a small Karnataka town by the name of Shikaripura. Located 50 kms off Shimoga(Sihi-Mogge), I went to attend a small programme arranged by a group by the name of Kaviswara. They called it the Kaviswara day.
600 students have in past 5 years benefited from this institution by the name of Kaviswara. These students have come from the most rural background. their families have barely anything to eat. It will surprise you if I tell you how they have benefited. They are studying in most reputed institutes of higher learning in Karnataka from REC Suratkal to Kasturba Medical College. These students came to Kaviswara when most of them would have quit their studies.. i.e. immediately after Class 10. They came to this institution where they received Chemistry and Zoology tutions at little or sometimes at no cost. The teacher at Kaviswara went to their far flung villages to talk to their parents about their problems. he helped them take up entrance exams.. he helped them clear by his teachings too.
You know what is behind Kaviswara? It is one man.. Mr Vijay Kumar. Vijay Sir , as I refer to him like his 600 students in one man army who could inspire in his pupil the spirit of education.
We do not have such people in these 32000 schools.
The government thinks it fit to construct a school and then appoint some teachers. But these teachers themselves are the people who have come from our society. the same selfish society which blames the government. These people visit the rural schools just on one day, the salary day. Other than that, they have no attachment to the school or it's problems. Their job is to teach. that sometimes they d. But they do not take any extra step to encourage education. Rather they are happy if students do not come.
Then they go back to their towns and give tutions and earn more money.
Buildings is not schools. It is the teacher's heart and soul that wants to kindle the lamp of knowledge that makes a school. There are two ways only from this point. One is that the government makes rules and more rules to force people to do what they are paid for, or this present generation gets a few people who care for rural education much more than just words. These people, when recruited by the government, will make a complete school where all students would love to come.