Schools to get basic facilities by end March this year: Govt
Srinagar: Advisor to J&K Governor, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai on Thursday said the successive regimes have set up huge number of schools which are lagging the basic facilities throwing a challenge for the department.
Talking to media persons on the sideline of a review meeting convened at the directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) Ganai said the department has chalked out a plan to equip all the government schools with toilet, drinking water and electricity facility by the end of March this year.
“Wherever schools have infrastructural issues and non-availability of other facilities, government will play its role positively,” he said.
While referring to school dropouts in especially in government schools, Ganai said the retention of students in schools was a major challenge for the department.
“We are trying our best to retain students in schools up to class 12th,” he said.
He said the department started centrally sponsored scheme Mid-Day Meals (MDM) in government schools long back as an initiative to increase the interest of students in schools. “But the teachers have a role to create conducive atmosphere in schools which will help the department to retain students in the schools,” he said.
He said retention will help the department to increase the literacy rate in the state which is below the national average. “The literacy rate is really dismal when compared with the schools established in the state,” he said.
Advisor also admitted that the teachers and officials in the department were lacking in capacity building which hampers the overall performance of the department. “To address this issue we have a plan to chalk out a duty chart for every individual in the department. From teacher to CEO and director we should have a defined role to play at our own level,” he said.
He said the government is mulling to develop entrepreneurship skills among the students in order to broaden their mindset. “Our youth should not only think about government job. They have a vast filed beyond it. So we need to change their mindset and impart skills of self sustainability among them,” Ganai said.
The advisor however hinted that the disproportionate pupil teacher ratio in government schools was due to the flawed system of transfers which get influenced by the societal pressures.
“Every teacher wants to be posted near his residential house and there are other pressures from society which department has to handle while ordering transfers in the department. But the issue will be reviewed to provide adequate staff in schools,” he said.
KV Correspondent
