Merger of 3 Central schemes does no good to govt schools

Vikas Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 10

Despite the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) subsuming three Central schemes under the Samagra Shiksha programme for better functioning of schools, there has not been much improvement in the state.

The MHRD had merged three Central schemes — Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and Teacher Education into Samagra Shiksha.

The state continues to lag behind and there has been no improvement in the infrastructural facilities at government schools.

Sources said under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, the ministry had approved 68 hostels for girls in 2017-18, but not a single hostel was functional till December last year and there was zero enrolment.

The work on 28 hostels is in progress while the construction on 40 hostels is yet to start.

The vacant posts of teacher, especially at the elementary level in government schools in J&K under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, are also a cause for concern. As a result, around 8.28 per cent primary and 11.08 per cent upper primary schools have an adverse pupil-teacher ratio due to the non-availability of subject teachers.

Sources said J&K was among the nine states and union territories lagging behind in the construction of kitchen-cum-stores under the midday meal scheme.