Today,I wake up to an article which provided the statistics mostly of Andhra pradesh state.Of course,I don't think that other states except Tamil Nadu,Kerala ,Pondicherry are different from this and I'll be surprised if they are really different .All we have now is thesurveys conducted by central government and HRD ministry.I stopped believing Government Surveys and Government methods from the time I accompanied my mother in a program of 'Akshar Sankranthi'(evening school for adults), an initiative by Andhra pradesh Government to curb illiteracy.Teachers used to teach drunkards and all they teach about is signature as we consider that a person,who knows signing is a literate and we take it as a benchmark and believe me, its horrible.Functional literacy in India has never crossed 35%(Our Census says literacy percentage is 64%)
Earlier I posted about these conditions but I was not clear enough to make certain firm conclusions.Now I try to make them.Education should not come very cheaply.I don't mean that education should be in reach of only middle class and rich as it is in India in now.It should be universalized but at the same point,it should not be deprived of quality.The study says,"As many as 5774 primary schools in Andhra Pradesh do not have even a single teacher and there are as many as 3193 schools with less than ten students in each. " The more shocking is that as many as 399 schools with not a single teacher have more than 100 students each and 1562 schools have less than five students each.
By now,you would have understood where the things really went wrong? In Andhra Pradesh, as of now there are 56963 schools with 27 lakh students on rolls and 111000 teachers and whats the use of this many schools? Provide public transport facilities to the students at free of cost and make them come to schools.Especially,Andhra Pradesh can do this as it has good Public transport system.In other states, we have to search for alternatives but still its possible.As per the study and my idea, there is only requirement of 20000-250000 schools in Andhra Pradesh and we need to keep teacher-pupil ratio 5:100 .Its important to provide quality education.As I remember,Rajiv mission reports are most stunning.Even a 7 class student in Andhra Pradesh is unable to solve basic Mathematics that is addition and subtraction not even division and multiplication and where we are heading? God knows.China,being an autocratic nation providing universal education to all.Even they are recruiting Indian teachers to teach English for their children and we wish to become an economic power but we have no will.Its reality.
Andhra Pradesh State could spend only Rs.400 crore of the Rs.1100 crore earmarked for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan last year as it could not contribute its share for the Centrally-sponsored scheme. The State will in all probability utilize only Rs.600 crore of the Rs.1800 crore available under the Sarva Siksha and Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyans this year. This is a main concern because Andhra Pradesh is a capable(I believe every state in India has its role to play but AP has flowing funds and possible economy)as its Budget is above 1 lakh crores and if a State like it can't act with strategy particularly on education,how can other states be?
I wonder and it will be a pleasant surprise if any one can prove me that conditions are different in other states of India as I know that Delhi is no different from other parts even though it is the capital.
Believe me,we can change this as every one must be knowing of Scandinavian and Vietnam revolutions and everything is available in this nation except teachers, who love teaching.I'm not a pessimist and I have a valid point to make this allegation as Governments made teachers as clerks and I dont know what's the fun in forcing the teachers to make clerical jobs.Clerks come at a cheaper rate and already we have nurtured enough unemployment in this nation to make them more cheaper(Many people have an illusion that we are able to provide employment to all and its irrational and invalid)
No more allegations and coming to the point,Private-Government bonding should be encouraged.NGO's should be encouraged and Education body should be made an independent,autonomous,constitutional body.Read it again! Its possible ."Common schooling" was proposed by Kothari commission in 1960's and now,its time to propose "Quality schooling" ideas.No need to increase number of schools but there is a need to improve quality of schools.No one in the world has discovered a substitute for Politics and Education and statistics speak of our horrible condition in both the issues.If we can't act in the coming 10 years,there will be no chance to act as we are in highly competitive world and we will be lagging behind for ever.
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