Education survey presents grim picture of govt schools in Himachal

The first ever survey conducted by the State Council for Education, Research and Training (SCERT) to identify the reasons for flight of students from government to private schools has painted a grim picture of the state-run institutions.
The government is perturbed over the fact that in spite of mid-day meal scheme and distribution of free books and uniforms, the enrolment is on decline as parents are shifting their children to private schools and the points raised in the survey would be addressed, Education Minister Suresh Bharadwaj said.
Shortage of playgrounds, inadequate teaching staff, mid-term transfer of teachers, absence of nursery and KG classes, and lack of involvement of teachers in various non-teaching activities are some of the reasons identified for the fall in enrolment, and the focus of the government would be on these issues, Bharadwaj said, adding that the government would not compromise on the quality of education.

As per the report of U-DISE (Unified District Information System for Education), the flight of students from government schools was between 2.5 and three per cent, and over the years, the enrolment in private schools was catching up with the government-aided ones, which did not augur well for the government that has opened over 15,000 schools, and provided staff and infrastructure.