DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand government has now come up with a new formula to improve the level of education in the government schools of the state. Now, the state will upgrade the condition of government schools by finding ‘guardians’ to save the faltering education system. Adoptees will be able to name the school after their loved ones as a ‘memento’.
In a bid to improve the standard of education in Uttarakhand, the education department of the state government has introduced a way to garner support from those willing to join hands with the government. The state has taken this initiative in the wake of their futile efforts to improve the education level despite spending Rs 10,000 crore every year on government schools.
Speaking to this newspaper about the scheme, Director General of Education Banshidhar Tiwari said, “The schools will be named after the adoptive person’s parents or someone else of his choice. In return, the concerned will have to bear some expenses on the school. For this, a proposal is being prepared by the department, which will be brought to the cabinet”.
Director General of Education Banshidhar Tiwari further told this newspaper, “Detailed standards will be set for the person adopting the school to pay for building, chair or other related expenses”. According to information received from sources, “many of the 16,501 government schools in the state have become dilapidated. Many people lack electricity, water and other essential facilities”.
This situation is when the annual budget of basic, junior and secondary education is 10 thousand crores. Out of this, Rs 1,100 crore is being given by the central government every year under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan. Sources also revealed, “At the same time, 200 crores are given under the mid-day meal scheme. Yet 96 primary level schools do not have buildings, 934 have boys’ toilets, 895 girls’ toilets and 542 do not have drinking water facilities”.
“As many as 2,864 basic schools in the state do not have ramps, 1,609 do not have electricity, 3,433 do not have libraries and 5,633 do not have playgrounds”, sources told. Regarding secondary schools, this daily has also learnt from its sources, “about 16 schools have buildings, 286 boys’ toilets, 114 girls’ toilets, 81 do not have drinking water, 57 do not have electricity and 384 do not have libraries. There are no playgrounds in 1,072 of these schools, integrated science laboratory in 1,041, physics laboratory in 886, chemistry laboratory in 902 and biology laboratory in 886”.