What's wrong with government schools?

It is not surprising that most students in goverment schools lack the aptitude required to study in a class. In fact, there are many reasons for this appalling situation. For starters, most of the children in government schools, particularly the zilla parishad and municipal schools, come from the lower strata of society.

They are socially, educationally and economically backward and do not have a social environment conducive to their growth. They also do not receive any support from their parents, who are illiterate or semi-literate. Their destiny is determined by this school but unfortunately the teachers do not understand this.  Absenteeism of teachers in these schools is very high. Even though they are paid a much higher salary than the teachers in private schools, they cheat the government and fail to discharge their duties as teachers. And sadly, no action is being taken to prevent this.

Apart from teachers, the quality of teaching in these schools is also very poor.  Most of them do not have proper infrastructure like class rooms, black boards, drinking water, toilets and sanitary facilities. The school environment is so suffocating that the students are dissuaded from attending the classes which is why the dropout rate is also high. Another cause is the corruption involved in this sector. The officers in the education department, being ‘managed,’ file false reports about the working conditions of schools. Political interference and patronage shield the corrupt and incompetent. The solution lies in taking prompt punitive action against them to serve as a deterrent.  But who will take action?  That is the moot question. What we need is administrative and political leadership of impeccable integrity.

The lack of sound foundation in primary and secondary education deems the students unfit for joining institutions of higher learning. The children in the age group of 6-14 learn nothing; they do not acquire proficiency in languages or communication skills because the teachers never take their job seriously.  Take for instance the students of vernacular medium schools; their ability to communicate in English is practically zero as the teachers who teach English language make no efforts to impart them with the skills of listening, reading, witting and speaking.  In most cases, the teachers who teach English in non English medium schools are not even qualified to teach the language.  That is why these children never learn to write and speak in English and consequently face serious communication problems when they go for higher studies.  

Lastly, no amount of technology can replace the class room teaching.  I Pads and the social networking sites may help in accessing and updating information.  However, true learning and assimilation of knowledge is possible only through effective teaching and healthy teacher-student interaction. But who will ensure that? We require a mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels, through effective supervision and control. We need persons in supervisory and administrative positions who won't mortgage their integrity for extraneous considerations!

The author is a professor of political science and retired principal, Kandivali Education Society’s College.