Centre okays over Rs 71 cr to upgrade govt schools

Vikas Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 16

In a significant move to strengthen the poor infrastructure in the government schools of J&K, the department of school education and literacy, Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry, has approved an estimated amount of Rs 7,159.31 lakh for the purpose.

The funds have been approved for constructing and upgrading toilets for boys and girls, boundary walls schools and additional classrooms, etc.

Overall, there are around 23,747 government schools in J&K, including 12,252 in Jammu division and 11,495 in Kashmir division. As per official data, as many as 6,351 government schools lack toilet facility for girls and 8,098 schools are without toilets for boys. Also, as many as 17,000 government schools in the state have no boundary wall.

Sources said the amount was sanctioned by the Central Ministry during a meeting held to consider the annual work plan and the state Budget 2018-19 for the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. They said sanction was also accorded for the construction of 12 new primary schools at a total estimated cost of Rs 320.28 lakh. The new primary schools will be constructed at Basnipora (Baramulla), Ganyool, Kunan Bathri, Upper Naan (Doda), Tangarah (Jammu), Kundka, Perhan (Kishtwar), Kalsan Janjua, Tarsangian (Poonch), Dharalta (Ramban) and Purksui (Udhampur).

Sources further said approval was also given to upgrade 15 primary schools to upper primary level at an estimated cost of Rs 298.65 lakh.

The HRD Ministry had also taken note of the state’s performance in the National Achievement Survey (NAS)-2017, wherein the students in government schools exhibited poor learning abilities.

Under the learning enhancement programme, approval was given for a total estimate of Rs 4,764.57 lakh for various activities, including early literacy and mathematics, supplementary for languages and mathematics, worksheet for students to improve learning outcomes for various districts and remedial teaching, etc.

As per NAS-2017, as compared to the national average of 248 in mathematics, J&K’s average is 233, followed by science (national average-246, J&K-233) and social science (national average-247, J&K-219). Further, the study revealed that the understanding of language was poor among the students of state-run schools.

Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan 

The Union Budget, 2018-19, has proposed to treat school education holistically without segmentation from pre-nursery to Class XII. It is an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to Class XII has been, therefore, prepared with the broader goal of improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes. It subsumes the three schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education.