Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/children-parents-talk-of-school-daze-by-santosh-k-kiro-13364.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Children, parents talk of school daze by Santosh K Kiro | Im4change.org
Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

Children, parents talk of school daze by Santosh K Kiro

As many as 100 girls from Gusai Baliya in Barkagaon block of Hazaribagh district can’t study as the nearest school is about 15km away

The primary school at Belamundwar village in Hazaribagh Sadar block has 155 students but no permanent teacher. It needs at least five trained teachers, but is struggling with two para-teachers

The primary school at Simgra in Khunti district has only one teacher for 101 students

Halwai Tola primary school in Godda district has only two para-teachers. No toilets

Ranchi, Feb. 23: Hours into a public hearing, it was easy for members of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to come to a conclusion: In two years, Jharkhand has managed to give the short shrift to Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009.

There were enough horror stories narrated by young dropouts and parents of schoolchildren at a public hearing today to force NCPCR members, including chairperson Shantha Sinha, to throw up their hands in despair and take to task ill-prepared officials of the state human resources department who were unable to explain the shortcomings that were revealed.

No teachers — there are 18,000 vacancies — no toilets, and a woeful lack of basic facilities such as classrooms, desks and a power connection were some of the problems mentioned by villagers on Day One of the two-day exercise organised by NCPCR in collaboration with NGOs Citizens Foundation, Coalition for Right to Education in Jharkhand, Child in Need Institute and Right for Food Campaign.

“More than two years have passed after Right to Education Act came into existence. Why have you not recruited the required number of teachers in schools? It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all children take admission in Class VIII after they pass Class VII,” Sinha told state primary education director D.K. Saxena and a host of district education officers who were present at the hearing.

Later, she announced her decision to appoint an officer to “monitor” the implementation of the act till June. She also asked the state government to adopt a child rights policy soon and send NCPCR a compliance report detailing action taken to plug the loopholes pointed out at the hearing.

“Do you know that if you do not follow the act, you can be penalised?” Justice (retired) Reddy, another NCPCR member, told state government officials. “You seem to be doing your business with para-teachers, who as per the act, do not qualify to be teachers,” he said after listening about the sorry plight of children, narrated by their parents who had come from various corners of Jharkhand to take part in the hearing.

“I have studied upto Class VII in the village school but since the area does not have a high school, nearly 100 girls like me have failed to pursue secondary education,” said Ramni Kumari from Gusai Baliya village of Barkagaon block in Hazaribagh district. Ramni is now working as a labourer.

Hazaribagh district superintendent of education Sachidanand Tigga thought that the middle school in Ango, a village near Gusai Baliya, had been upgraded to a high school two years ago. And Ramni and the others could go there.

But, she and her friends disputed the claim.

NCPCR panelists told Tigga to go to the village to find out the reality and asked primary education director Saxena to ensure that the 100 girls of Gusai Baliya were admitted to high schools by June.

Several villagers spoke of security issues as many schools lacked boundary walls. “One village child died a month back in an accident. Had there been a boundary wall, the accident would not have taken place,” said Chotka Manjhi of Churchu in Hazaribagh district.

Puspa Aind of Chapi in Khunti said their village school did not have power connection although she had spotted electricity cables nearby.

Apart from Sinha and Justice (retd) Reddy, who is former chairman of State Human Rights Commission of Andhra Pradesh, the others in the NCPCR panel were Dipa Dixit, member secretary Luv Verma and senior journalist Mohua Choudhury.

Sinha was scathing in her comments, especially when she heard complaints about ill-behaved teachers.

“It is because of them (students) that your jobs as officials and teachers exist,” she told state HRD officials. “You are their servants and not masters. Behave well and teach your teachers to behave well,” she said.

Saxena held out a feeble defence on behalf of the state government but managed to buy time till 2110-13, the end of the next financial year. He told the panel that the process to recruit 18,000 teachers had been resumed after it had been stalled by Jharkhand High Court in view of irregularities.

(Names of school girls or dropouts who appeared for the public hearing have been changed to protect their identities as per the suggestion of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, citing provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act)