It is not wholly without cogent reasons and not entirely due to some peculiar mindset of the parents, generally speaking, that they prefer to send their children to private schools and not to Government schools. The rudimentary essentials of a school should be having a reasonably better ambience, better hygienic conditions, toilet facilities, proper lighting and of course, the all important , better coaching for its students . Every parent with high hopes wants their child to receive the best education in better environment which , at the outset, means the school to be housed in a good building and that is exigently non negotiable.
Why are private schools increasing in number every year and how come their roll is sufficient enough to enable them remain in the “trade” and sustain on perpetual basis needs to be peeped into and reasons ascertained that despite the State Government providing qualified teachers and in adequate number to such schools, there are not enough students on their roll.
A case study for academicians and education analysts about what ails our education system could be from a glaring instance of majority of schools in Srinagar being operated from rental accommodations, mostly in semi-dilapidated conditions. A survey reveals that more than half of such schools do not have their own buildings. Let us also analyze the financial aspect as to whether commercial prudence warrants such an arrangement as a fait accompli of such schools. Everyone would agree that in the short run, perhaps the deal might look favourable but over years and in the long run, rented accommodation is a total loss as no asset is created out of the money expended on costly rent.
It is surprising that as many as 345 schools in the education zones of Srinagar are running from rented buildings with poor infrastructure. These include Higher Secondary schools and High schools too. How much important is a school for a student of primary and middle standard levels in building and developing its personality, mental faculties and abilities to understand concepts and elementary problems, hardly needs any emphasis and when the school for a student of basic primary levels is sans basic facilities, how can the child grow and learn and why should a parent take the risk of underestimating the repercussions of this vital deficiency and not prefer a private school? Most of these buildings are basically residential and not conforming to the requirements of a school as lay out of class rooms , proximity of the room of the Headmaster , a ground for sports and extra -curricular activities , spacious laboratories , libraries etc and other facilities cannot be expected from residential buildings , those in the city and adjoining areas .
Lack of proper space in these schools results in more than one class huddled in one single room where students are supposed to “get coaching”, a scenario which can well be understood just by imagining rather watching it physically. Noise and chaos both become impediments in the way of getting even some coaching not to speak of better one. Teachers, under such conditions cannot be expected to perform better, a blame usually heaped on Government teachers. Are space constraints in the city coming in the way of Government schools not getting land for having their own buildings or the Government would not purchase the same wherever available, at the prevailing market prices are not mere conjectures but stark realities.
The roll in Government schools is abysmally low and is continuously on the decline . There are reports that in many Government schools, the number of staff members was even more or at par with total students on their roll. That scenario forces the authorities to resort to clubbing of various schools together which speaks more about the problem than hides any and the fears that such schooling had been reduced to a mere formality and thus a ruse in the name of imparting education, is not just a speculation.
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