Nellore: Government schools lack basic amenities

Nellore: Though the new academic year has started, still, majority schools in the district are lagging basic amenities such as permanent buildings, additional classrooms, toilets, and safe drinking water facilities. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had assured to rejuvenate education in government schools but there are difficulties in implementation.

Construction of 50 new buildings for schools are pending and proposals for around 1,300 additional classrooms in the entire district are in cold storage. Even as crores of rupees are being spent on various projects, the education sector has been totally neglected every year confining to the proposals.

Consequently, the education sector had turned out to be a rehabilitation programme for the teachers and others where quality in education is missing, say experts. "Appointment of teachers through conducting written test, following merit, interviews, and orientation for improving quality of education are becoming waste with no focus on the sector. Merit teachers are imparting instruction to the students of remote areas where only matriculates are working in private schools that are crowded with students," lamented a senior headmaster from Sydapuram mandal.

There are 3,425 schools across the district and around 11,500 teachers are working in the entire district. Still, there is a shortage of more than 3,000 teachers and officials are saying there are possibilities of rationalisation of schools where strength is below 10. There are 120 such primary schools in the district.

In fact, though some new buildings are under construction stage, officials have sent proposals last year to the State government for around 1,300 additional classrooms for meeting the demand and the proposal is still pending.

There is no toilet facility in around 1,350 schools and 1,750 schools have no playgrounds. More than 100 schools have no water facility and the students have to bring water from the house. There is variation in data between the Education department and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) that reveals lack of coordination.

"Teachers are simply leaving the school after working hours and no one is staying in any village for interacting with parents, understanding local issues and raising any donations for immediate renovations. Very few teachers are staying in mandal headquarters.," said DV Ramanaiah, an activist in the education sector.