Infrastructural deficiencies crippling growth prospects of education sector
ASER 2018 survey paints grim picture, reveals many ills
Srinagar: Negating the tall claims of the state’s education department to take education sector to new heights, most of the schools are facing accommodation crunch in the state.
The deficiency has been noticed at a time when the governor’s administration claims to fill the infrastructural gaps in government schools by the end of this month.
As per the official figures, more than 60 percent government schools don’t have adequate accommodation for classes particularly for lower class students.
The schools are facing accommodation crunch despite receiving whooping allocation from Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for execution of civil works in the state. But over the years, the successive regimes have failed to build requisite infrastructure for schools.
As per the latest survey- ASER 2018 more than 52 percent schools accommodate students of class 4th with students of other classes in their own schools while as 60 percent schools accommodate students of 2nd primary with students of other classes.
“The school education department has constructed huge number of buildings but more than 80 percent buildings were left abandoned as they were not put to use by the department due to incomplete construction or the building was constructed far away from the exact location of the school,” an official said.
Earlier this year, advisor to Governor Khursheed Ahmad Ganai had stated that the government was committed to fill the infrastructural gaps in government-run schools. But given the ground situation, the claims will remain confined to papers only.
Besides infrastructure, the government schools are lagging behind in library culture as well. The survey has reported that only 26 percent schools use books on daily basis which are available in their libraries.
Also, only 17 percent schools have computer facilities for the students. The survey has painted a grim picture of the education sector in J&K state in all the aspects deflating the much hyped road map prepared by the MHRD to revamp the education sector.
The road map was prepared by MHRD in 2017 and the school education department was supposed to complete the target within three years.
“But in past two years, the department has not been able to complete even 10 percent of the set target,” he said.
Newly posted secretary school education department Sarita Chauhan said she will take a review of all the issues and set deadline for meeting the targets.
“We are working on education reforms and hopefully will be able to achieve our target in terms of infrastructural upgradation and improvement in academics as well,” she said.
KV Correspondent
