Govt neglecting education, focused on shutting schools: Selja

Sirsa MP and former Union Minister Kumari Selja today said the Haryana Government seemed focused on closing government schools in the state, given their deplorable condition.

“Simultaneously, efforts are being made to promote private schools in various ways. The current situation reveals that either there are no students in many government schools, or where students exist, teachers are absent, and in some cases, there is no proper infrastructure. Moreover, the enrollment of children from SC, BC, and minority communities in these schools is declining.”

Can't evade responsibility

Teachers from schools with no students should be deputed to schools where there are more students but fewer teachers. Providing necessary facilities in government schools is the responsibility of the government, and it cannot evade this responsibility.

Kumari Selja, Sirsa MP

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Selja said the BJP government was not serious about education and wanted to deprive the poor of their right to education. She said the government was ignoring its schools and focusing entirely on promoting private schools. According to the Ministry of Education's UDISE report, 81 schools in Haryana have no students, despite 178 teachers being appointed to these schools. Additionally, 867 schools have only one teacher for a total of 40,828 students. As many as 579 schools lack libraries, 2,198 schools have no playgrounds, and 599 schools lack separate toilets for girls.

Selja said there had been a decline in enrollments in government schools, particularly among minorities, especially Muslims, and girls, compared to the previous year. She has said the Ministry of Education’s data underscores the poor state of government schools and their education quality, jeopardising the country's future.

“The progress of any state or nation depends on the standard of education. The government needs to consider why 81 schools in the state have no students and why parents are reluctant to send their children to government schools. Teachers from schools with no students should be deputed to schools where there are more students but fewer teachers. Providing necessary facilities in government schools is the responsibility of the government, and it cannot evade this responsibility. Despite orders for separate toilet facilities for girls in schools, no action has been taken in 599 schools due to the government’s negligence,” she said.

Selja said although the government spent significant money, the results of private schools remained better than government schools. “Salaries of government school teachers are ten times the pay of private school teachers.” She said education in private schools was far more expensive than in government schools, making government schools the only option for poor children.