Several inadequacies cripple School Education Department

Even as the end of another academic year draws to a close, the School Education Department is faced with an uphill task of implementing the norms governing summer vacations along with implementing a special drive to promote enrolment of children in State-run schools in the absence of adequate supervisory officials to oversee the work.

The department continues to be dogged by various inadequacies, especially the absence of regular Mandal Education Officers (MEOs) in 18 of the total 21 mandals in the district.

Several State-run schools in the district are beset with deficiencies such as lack of adequate number of teaching and non-teaching staff and dearth of proper infrastructure facilities.

These factors are expected to cast a shadow on the ensuing Badi Bata programme aimed at motivating parents to send their wards to government schools.

Despite endowed with highly qualified teachers, many State-run schools have failed to make much headway in terms of enrolment of children over the past couple of years mainly due to infrastructural deficiencies and publicity blitzkrieg by several private schools.

Various students unions such as the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Progressive Democratic Students’ Union (PDSU) have been consistently pressing for strengthening of the State-run schools and strictly enforcing the regulations governing the admissions and fee structure in private schools. The unhealthy practice of conducting “special classes” during summer vacations by errant private schools has been going on unabatedly on one pretext or the other in spite of rules prohibiting such activities during summer break, alleged SFI district president Ch. Ramesh.

Schoolchildren are being deprived of the much-needed summer break in many private schools, he charged.

The School Education Department devoid of adequate supervisory officers is unable to effectively check this trend, he said, stating that the SFI would chart out an action plan on Friday to prevent “special classes” in private schools during summer vacations in the district.

When contacted, District Education Officer P. Madanmohan said a circular prohibiting special classes in all schools during summer vacations would be issued in a day or two. We would take action against those found violating the norms, he said, adding that arrangements were afoot to take up enrolment drive after the ongoing SSC spot valuation work.