Govt schools short of funds for repair work

Vikas Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 28

Though the state government has ordered the Chief Education Officers to carry out the safety audit of government schools, there is no separate provision of providing financial grant to carry out even the necessary repair/maintenance of the buildings that are in a dilapidated condition.

The schools have been utilising the improvement fund, which is collected from the students at the time of admission, for the repair/maintenance work.

There are a total of 12,419 government schools in Jammu division, including 7,219 primary schools, 3,764 middle schools, 923 high schools, 306 higher secondary schools, 34 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and 173 mobile schools. Total 7,00,096 students are enrolled in government schools, including 3,59,607 boys and 3,40,489 girls.

The sorry state of affairs can be gauged from the fact that not even a single penny has been released as the annual grant under the state plan. The government schools are receiving grants only under the flagship schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).

There is no annual maintenance grant for high schools and higher secondary schools, but the primary and middle schools are also getting meagre funds. Primary schools get an annual grant of Rs 5,000 to carry out maintenance, which means Rs 416 per month. Similarly, middle schools get an annual grant of Rs 12,000 i.e. Rs 1,000 per month.

“Under the RMSA, high schools and higher secondary schools are entitled to an annual grant of Rs 50,000, but there is no separate grant for repairs. Of 50,000, Rs 25,000 is to be utilised for science i.e. for purchase of chemicals and upgrading laboratories, etc, Rs 10,000 is for purchasing books while the remaining 15,000 is to pay electricity and water bills, telephone charges, etc,” principal of a higher secondary school claimed.

“Ever since the state government has announced fee waiver for girl students, there is poor collection of improvement fund in co-education schools while girls’ schools have no funds at all,” he said.

According to official figures, more than 1,000 government schools in Jammu division are still running from rented accommodations. “A majority of such government schools are in far-flung districts. In Jammu district, nine schools do not have a building,” informed JK Sudan, Chief Education Officer, Jammu.

No aid for high schools

Under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, high schools and higher secondary schools are entitled to an annual grant of Rs 50,000, but there is no separate grant for repairs. Moreover, ever since the state government has announced fee waiver for girl students, there is poor collection of improvement fund in co-education schools. —Principal of a higher secondary school