Raise the bar to check collapse of education system

Teachers are slack 

Government schools are suffering due to the slack attitude of teachers and principals, who are only bothered about their monthly salary. Most of them are regular and get pension post-retirement. Teaching has taken a backseat. Things can improve only if the pension of government teachers is stopped and they are paid according to their teaching skills. 

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

---

Pvt firms can help upgrade infra

The infrastructure can be upgraded under the public-private-partnership mode in government schools. Private organisations can pitch in to raise the the education standards. They can provide better facilities, such as potable water, toilets and seating arrangement, both for students and teachers. This will benefit the contributor as well as society. 

Kamalpreet Kaur, Mohali

---

Recruit teachers on merit basis

The quality of education and infrastructure in government schools is not on a par with private schools and results are also poor. The government should lay stress on improving the infrastructure, education, modernisation and providing a mode of transport to schoolchildren. Good teachers should be recruited on a merit basis. Those achieving good results should be rewarded with special increments.  The Education Department should monitor government schools on a regular basis.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

---

Basic facilities elude schools

Such is the plight of primary educational institutions in our country that even basic facilities elude them. Classrooms are dingy, toilets stink, there is no electricity and staff too is inadequate. Government schools are lagging behind as far as quality education, good infrastructure, proper facilities and pupil-teacher ratio is concerned. The infrastructure needs to be upgraded. 

Dr Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh

---

Callousness exposed

All this has exposed the callousness of education officials and put a question mark over the utilisation of funds. The influential are only concerned about Chandigarh’s elite schools. 

Sham Murari Sharma, Chandigarh

---

Set up panel to monitor amenities 

The Administration should constitute a high-powered committee to evaluate infrastructure, staff strength and amenities. It should also submit a report. Corporate houses should come forward and adopt schools which are in need of immediate attention. Periodical inspections to examine and evaluate services should be done and corrective measures taken.

SS Arora, Mohali

---

Adequate funds should be allocated 

To hand over the education system to private players will not be in the interest of society at large because the middle and the lower class may not be able to afford exorbitant  fee and children from these sections  will be deprived of education. The government should provide adequate funds to improve the conditions/infrastructure of government schools.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

---

Education system needs to be overhauled

It is not only the Education Act that needs to be consigned to where it should belong – a dustbin – but it is the education system which needs to be completely overhauled. We do not have an education policy. There is a need to improve the quality of education and lay emphasis on skill development and research.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

---

Give free hand to principals

With stinky toilets, no benches, fans in classrooms, students cannot concentrate on studies. Give principals a free hand to spend funds on the upkeep of schools. Improve quality of education, induct retired educated citizenry to teach voluntarily.

Wg Cdr JS Bhalla (retd)

---

System needs reforms

Most government schools are not competent enough. There is a growing feeling that government schools cannot provide quality education. It is imperative on the part of government to find out the ways and means to improve the standard of government schools. It will not be wrong to say that the government education system requires reforms to compete with private schools, otherwise private participation is a good solution.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

---

Religious bodies should adopt schools

With the government framing a policy that government schools should generate funds on their own, the latter are gasping for breath. They are at the mercy of philanthropists. Our religious institutions, instead of opening their own schools, can adopt government schools. The government cannot wash its hands of responsibilities and should provide basic amenities in schools. 

Dr Gurdev Singh, Mohali

---

Officials’ wards should study in govt schools

The miserable condition of government schools is the result of VIP culture. Now, such schools are left for the poorest of poor. The government is showing interest in ending the VIP culture and should issue orders that all officials above the rank of Class II should send their wards to government schools. If this happens, things will change for the good.

Inderjit Singh Sidhu, Mohali

---

Govt should enhance grant

There was a time when there were only a few private educational institutions and the quality of education in government schools was far better. Teachers were dedicated and there was no commercialisation. The government should enhance the budget to upgrade the schools. 

Surinder Paul Wadhwa, Mohali

---

Better facilities will improve things 

Government schools have qualified staff, but lack infrastructure. Buildings are in a pitiable condition, furniture is broken, power supply is erratic and taps dry. The staff strength needs to be increased. If the schools get better facilities, results will certainly improve.  

HBS Batra, Mohali

---

Teachers to blame for poor results

Teachers in government schools do not take interest due to poor performance of students. They should be held responsible for the poor results. The government should frame rules and regulations in such a way that weaker sections do not suffer. 

Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra

---

Govt should work out measures 

The government have all resources and schools run by it can compete with private institutions. The authorities should seriously think about upgrading the schools for the future of students whose parents spend their hard-earned money on their education.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

---

Make learning fun

Like government colleges, government schools too should have the best of facilities. They can beat private schools if the education standards are raised. Teachers should bring something new to the classroom. We need to adopt new methods of teaching.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

---

It’s govt’s duty to educate students

State governments are responsible for the deteriorating educations system. It is their duty to provide good education to students, but they take it as a business. They do not allocate adequate budget because there is no profit. Bureaucrats and politicians are least bothered.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

---

Regular check on schools a must

All government employees should be asked to admit their wards in government schools. It will save their money. This way, teachers will also take their work seriously. A group of four competent teachers should visit each government school, check the work and guide the staff and students.

Sohan Lal Gupta, Patiala

---

Rural areas should have good teachers

Why can’t poor children get education? In cities, we have good facilities while villages are deprived of even the basics. It is the fault of the government as it is not spending money on education. Good teachers should be recruited in rural areas so that students are imparted quality education. 

Arshia Mittal, Ambala City

---

Issue warning to teachers in case of poor results

Government schools should not take things for granted. The authorities should set a target and make  efforts to achieve it. Then, you will see even well-to-do families sending their children to government schools. If the results are poor, teachers should be issued warnings and their increments should be stopped. There should be no place for the black sheep.

Col RD Singh (retd), Ambala Cantt

---

Staff strength should be good

If results are any indication, government schools have not performed well. Most of the people prefer sending their wards to private schools. They don’t mind spending huge sums for the education of their kids. Adequate staff and upgraded infrastructure can make things better. 

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

---

Students suffering due to lack of coordination

Many government schools have facilities, such as playgrounds, classrooms, laboratories, toilets and trained teachers, but these are not maintained properly. Most departments are involved in maintenance and other works. Lack of coordination makes students suffer. Responsibility has to be fixed to match the standards of private schools. 

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

---

Principals need to pull up their socks

Government school results are a disappointment. Principals of these schools need to pull up their socks and ensure quality education, besides improving the infrastructure. The Director, Secondary Education, should constitute a committee which should visit every school and advise the principals and staff to improve things. 

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

---

NGOs, trusts should come forward 

The Administration does not care about these schools. There is nothing in the name of infrastructure. Maintenance and repairs too are delayed. This despite the fact that there is no dearth of funds. Educational trusts, religious bodies, NGOs and philanthropists should come forward and help educate the under-privileged. 

Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali

---

Use funds responsibly 

When private schools can provide quality education, infrastructure and basic amenities, what’s stopping  government schools from doing the same. The government should revise syllabi. Buildings should be renovated. Funds should be used responsibly.

Rashi Srivastava, Chandigarh

---

Hand over schools to businessmen 

Government schools that have not performed well should be handed over to entrepreneurs. They should promote these educational institutions by naming them after their establishments. Some schools can be looked after by religious, social institutions and NGOs.  Allow them to employ capable retired teachers at nominal salaries. The government should continue to monitor their performance.

Tejinder Singh Kalra, Mohali

---

Teachers should pledge to provide quality education

Government schools in the tricity are in a bad shape. They lack infrastructure and other amenities. The problem cannot be solved by a meagre financial aid by philanthropists. The government which has no dearth of funds should come forward to the rescue of these schools. Every teacher should pledge to provide quality education.

Nikita Kapur, Chandigarh

---

Pvt firms’ participation won’t solve problem

Despite having huge buildings, playgrounds, highly qualified teaching faculty, adequate  grants, government schools are lagging behind. Private participation in government schools is no solution. Managements of these schools should follow the culture of private schools.  

MPS Chadha, Mohali

---

Only govt’s efforts can improve situation 

The government wants its citizens to be literate, but it is not providing even the basic facilities like potable water and clean toilets. It really needs to put in efforts to bring government schools on a par with private school. 

Prachi Utreja, Ambala 

---

Fix responsibility of officials 

Even government schools can get better infrastructure if funds are used properly. Maintenance requires less cost. The government should fix the duties of officials looking after the construction  and maintenance  work.

Gautam, Ambala

---

Admn should visit schools regularly 

The Administration should regularly visit government schools. Departments should be entrusted with the task of providing adequate infrastructure. The government should release funds quarterly. Special officials from the PWD should be appointed to get the work done.

Umang, Ambala

---

OPEN HOUSE COMMENT

How to school students in such schools! 

Nitin Jain

Students sitting but squirming on a dirty floor, but teacher well ensconced in a neat and clean chair with a tidy table in the front; dingy classrooms; leaking roofs; cracks wide open in the walls forewarning of a fall anytime, naked wires protruding from open electricity junction boxes posing a grave threat to the lives of unsuspecting toddlers; toilets which exist only in name; and no facility of clean drinking water. No scene this from the medieval times, but picture perfect of our government schools, especially of those located on the city’s periphery. A sad commentary indeed on the state of schools saddled with the task of shaping the nation’s future.

The lesser blessed (read economically weaker sections) who cannot afford the exorbitant charges of even the poorest of private schools are left with no other option, but to send their wards to such schools. Once in, the students end up either sitting idle or doing petty, sometimes personal, jobs assigned by the teacher during the school hours without learning anything for which they had come to the school. And it is a everyday affair. No gainsaying the fact that the mid-day meal given at these schools remains the biggest attraction for the students, whose poorly placed parents cannot afford them even two square meals at home.

Not that these institutions are in a shambles, as highlighted in these columns recently, for want of funds. The government spends hefty sums on the establishment and running of these schools. The teachers here get handsome pay and perks, much more than their counterparts get even in the best of private schools. But education remains a big challenge in government schools. Year after year, their poor results (very few schools and some students remain an exception) lay bare the standard of teaching in these institutions.

With the right to education enshrined in our Constitution and the present-day government making loud claims, there is dire need to overhaul the working of government schools, especially in the rural and semi-urban areas. Fixing the responsibility of teachers, linking results with their annual increments and promotions, providing basic amenities, introducing smart ways of learning, and, last but not the least, roping in private participation and CSR for tiding over the funds crunch, if any, in upgrading and bringing the standard of teaching in government schools on par with their private counterparts, is the need of the hour.

---

OPEN HOUSE QUESTION

Artificially ripened fruits are a threat to the health of consumers. Even as the authorities claim doing enough to check the hazard, a majority of the seasonal fruits, especially mangoes, available in the market continue to be ripened with hazardous chemicals. What should be done to check the use of poisonous substances to ripen fruits? Should awareness camps be held, whose responsibility is it in the end and does consumer too needs to be wise up? Send your comments in not more than 70 words at [email protected]