Education mess

4830 schools without their own building

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Oct 12: Despite pumping crores of rupees in improving the educational infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, nearly 4830 educational institutions in across the state are functioning without their own buildings. These startling figures have been revealed by the government document.

Data says that out of these, 4119 primary schools, 628 middle schools, 76 high schools and 7 higher secondary schools are without government building. Apart from this, 984 upgraded institutions are deficient in accommodation with break up figures: 611 High Schools and 373 Higher Secondary Schools.

Figures further reveal that 474 primary schools buildings are in dilapidated condition with 28 upper middle schools without own buildings, 52 primary institutions lacking drinking water/toilet facility. 541 middle schools lack drinking water/ toilet facility. 68 high schools functioning in rented buildings, 7 Govt. higher secondary institutions are functional in rented buildings. 125 high schools lack drinking water/toilet facility, 101 higher secondary institutions lack drinking water/toilet facility.

It further reveals that only 75 per cent teachers at primary level in the state are trained as against national average of 89 per cent.  However survey has also thrown open some positive trends in the education sector, as per the NCERT Report (2003) on assessment of Class V student achievements, the learning achievement in Mathematics and in Language in primary classes in J&K is 36.3 per cent and 49.6 per cent respectively as against the national average of 46.5 per cent in Maths and 58.57 per cent in Language.

About 51 Model Cluster Schools have been made functional, out of 79 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidhlya (KGBV)s, 78 KGBVs have been made operational till date.

Survey says that with the expansion in educational facilities the number of literates has increased but has not been able to keep pace with the increasing population. “In absolute terms, the number of literates have increased from 3.93 lakh in 1961 to 45.16 lakh in 2001 and further to 61.65 lakh in 2008”, survey says.

Analysis of the progression of the Literacy Rate during 2001 census and 2008 survey results reveals that Urban Males have highest literacy rate (83.15 per cent) while rural females are least literate (52.70 per cent). “The analysis also shows that during both the years the literacy among females is at a disadvantageous position than their counterparts. It is also prevalent that urban areas have much literacy concentration than rural areas.