Govt for periodic inspections to improve learning

Bhanu P Lohumi

Shimla, April 24

To improve the learning-teaching pedagogy, the state government has decided to entrust the responsibility of periodic inspections and implementing the work plans to teachers at various levels.

The task has been entrusted to central head teachers (CHT) at the primary level, block primary officers (BPOs) at the upper primary level and cluster heads at the high school level.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Education) PC Dhiman. The work plan of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) for 2016-17 was discussed.

The Project Approval Board of the SSA and the RMSA has allocated Rs 838 crore to Himachal this year, which is 27 per cent more than last year. The funding will be in the 90:10 ratio to be shared by the Central and the state governments.

Emphasis was laid on improving subject-wise learning levels and results. It was decided that quarterly, half-yearly and annual inspections be held regularly. Officials said district-level reports should be submitted, adding that state-level reports could be sent by the end of the year.

The officials decided that the subject-wise progress of students would be reviewed periodically and that district project officials would ensure availability of clean drinking water in every school.

They said quality education should be imparted to girls and no special child would be deprived of the right.  

As per the U-DISE report for 2014, about 5 per cent students shift from government to private schools every year and if this continues, the projected percentage in government schools will be reduced to 33.81 per cent while the number in private schools will rise to 66.19 per cent in the next 10 years.

Even the comparative survey in the annual status of education report (ASER) submitted last year had revealed that the percentage of students studying in private schools had increased from 19 per cent in 2006 to 35.2 per cent in 2014 while the respective percentage for boys and girls had increased from 21.8 to 39.3 per cent and 15.9 to 30.7 per cent.

The learning standards are so poor in the state that only 71.5 per cent students of Class V can read the text of Class II. Only 47 per cent students of Class V are able to do simple division, 39 per cent students of Class IV cannot do subtraction. About 12 per cent students of Class II cannot even read letters.