CRY survey: Implementation of right to education in Gujarat is "still elusive", reality is "grimmer"

By Jag Jivan*
A just-finalized survey sponsored by high-profile NGO Child Rights and You (CRY), in alliance with Buniyadi Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (BAAG), carried out in 243 schools of 17 districts, has found that assertions made by the state government about cent per cent success in implementing right to education (RTE) are false. CRY has said in a report based on the survey, “An analysis reveals that implementation of RTE in Gujarat is still elusive, and in many parameters government’s claim of 100 per cent achievement is debatable… Findings are indicative that reality may be grimmer.”
Pointing out that the “norm of separate classrooms has not been followed in half of the schools surveyed”, CRY says, “The survey has raised major concerns in terms of infrastructure”, with many schools not having separate room for principal, no staff rooms, no play grounds, no first aid facility, no science laboratory, no library facility, no space for indoor games, no room for storing material, no computers and televisions.” However, it adds, the situation in urban areas is “comparatively better than rural and tribal areas.”
Dividing 17 districts in seven regions, and providing data of each region separately, the survey of Narmada, Tapi and Surat districts show that only 55 per cent schools have separate classrooms for different standards, 66.7 per cent had have no separate room for principal, 61.1 per cent have no playground, 27.8 per cent are without firstaid facility, 58.3 per cent do not have science laboratory, 47.2 per cent have no computers, and 66.7 have no television.
In another region, consisting of Panchmahals, Dahod and Vadodara districts, 56 per cent schools have boundary wall, 50 per cent schools do not have separate classrooms for different standards, 56.4 per cent do not have separate room for principal, 53.8 per cent do not have staff room, 84.6 per cent do not have science laboratory, 59 do not have library facility, 66.7 per cent have no computers, and 51.3 per cent have no television. Further, 87 per cent of schools have toilets in working condition, and 51 per cent have soaps to wash hands.
In yet another region, consisting of Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Surendranagar districts, 58.5 per cent schools have boundary walls, 19 per cent have no separate room for principal, 41.4 per cent have no staff rooms, 86.2 per cent have no science laboratory, 65.5 per cent have no library facility, 58.6 per cent have no computers, and 72.4 per cent have no television.
In the region consisting of Porbandar and Dwarka districts, 18.4 per cent schools do not have separate room for principal, 18.4 per cent have no staff room, 10.5 per cent have no play ground, 81.6 per cent have no science laboratory, 47.4 per cent have no library facility, 89.5 per cent have no space for indoor games, 94.7 per cent have no computers, and 97.4 per cent have no television.
In the region consisting of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Arravali districts, 60 per cent of schools have boundary walls, 57.1 per cent have no separate room for principal, 74.1 per cent have no staff room, 38.1 per cent have no play ground, 57.1 per cent have no science laboratory, 64.3 per cent have no library, 23.8 per cent have no computers, and 50 per cent had no televisions.
In Kutch district, 61.9 per cent schools have no separate room for principal, none of the schools have any staff room, 23.8 per cent have no playground, 61.9 per cent have no science laboratory, 47.6 per cent have no library, 71.4 per cent are without computers, and 81 per cent are without television.
Even in Ahmedabad, 88 per cent schools have school boundaries, 40 per cent schools have separate classrooms for each standard, 16 per cent have no separate room for principal, 12 per cent have no staff room, 16 per cent have no playground, 80 per cent have no first aid facility, 88 per cent have no science laboratory, 48 per cent had no library, 80 per cent had no computers, and 88 per cent were without television. Further, eight per cent schools do have separate toilets for girls and boys.
The survey finds that in majority of schools, teachers were only 12th pass. Thus, in Ahmedabad’s 23 schools surveyed, in 19 schools have up to 12th pass teachers. The situation in other districts was found to be almost similar. In Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Arravali districts, things are worse, with 16 schools having education up to 10th standard. Very few schools have teachers with a graduate degree.

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*Freelance writer

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