Govt panels on reforms in education department fail to deliver
Srinagar: Despite the passage of more than one year, the much hyped panels constituted by government to revamp the education sector has failed to bring any change on the ground.
In February last year, the two panels were constituted and were tasked to give recommendations on improving literacy rate in J&K state and addressing issues of non-availability of infrastructure in the schools.
“The announcement for constitution of the two Task Forces was made by then education minister Syed Altaf Bukhari in Legislative Assembly,” a top official in education department said.
Briefing further he said the principal secretary higher education department and secretary school education department were designated as member secretary of one of the panel, directors of school education of Kashmir and Jammu region were nominated as members.
“The committee was asked to submit its report to government within two months. But, the initiative remained confined to only few meetings and was later shelved after imposition of governor rule in J&K state,” the official said.
The Task Force constituted in school education department was assigned to put forth recommendations for improving infrastructure in schools, introduction of new subjects and regularization of staff at various levels and filling up of vacant posts and referral of vacancies to the recruiting agencies.
“The Task Force was supposed to complete the exercise in consultation with legislators within a period of one month and submit its recommendations to the minister for education for his perusal and further instructions,” an official said while referring to the order issued by the department last year.
The team was headed by the then minister of state (MoS) for education while as state project director (SPD) erstwhile Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), SPD erstwhile Rashtriya Madhiyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), two additional secretaries, joint director planning besides director school education Jammu and Kashmir were appointed as members of the committee.
“We held few meetings and started taking feedback from various quarters after involving people from colleges and Universities of the state. But we didn’t get time to execute the feedback,” said one of the official who was part of the meeting.
The task force was constituted after the then education minister Altaf Bukhari shared some disturbing figures of the education department.
As per official figures shared by the education minister it was revealed that 17,167 schools were without boundary walls and 17,112 schools without playgrounds. Also, it was stated that 26000 toilet units and lavatories in schools are in a dilapidated condition while as 1000 girls schools are without any toilet facilities. Almost 50 percent of all government schools are in a semi-dilapidated state as well, the figures revealed.
Despite repeated requests, Commissioner Secretary School education department Sarita Chauhan was not available for her comments.
KV Correspondent
