We all keep reading about massive recruitment of teachers by the government. Then they hire Shiksha-Mitras (SMs) to assist them. Though the SMs are not but the teachers are very handsomely paid. Apart from their salaries a lot of money must be getting spent on school infrastructure and the fraud-ridden midday meal scheme.
While billions are getting spent on this presumably noble mission, what is the picture at the ground level? I find from my personal interactions that even those at the lowest economic rung, like household help, rickshaw pullers, and street vendors do not want to send their children to such government schools. They pay through their nose for schooling their children in private schools of dubious quality.
Sting operations by TV channels have exposed the astonishingly reprehensible quality of education given in these schools and the extremely poor caliber of teachers hired at high salaries. I know teachers who visit the school only once or twice a month and pay protection money to functionaries in education department.
The billions going down the drain into the pockets of the corrupt could be much better utilized by providing a direct cash transfer to deserving people who could use it to pay the fees of private schools which are seen to be far superior to the government ones.
The hordes of teachers and SMs could be trained as plumbers, electricians and carpenters. There is a real dearth of such professionals in the society.
In case it is not found feasible to dismantle this hoax of government schools, it must be made mandatory for all those whose draw salaries from the central or state government to school their children only in a government school at their place of posting.
Another sector suffering from similar massive corruption is health. Here too it will help to make it mandatory for all government employees and legislators to avail services only at a government hospital in their area. The government instead has chosen to fly its officers and ministers overseas for treatment!!! Will they ever get ashamed of themselves?
While billions are getting spent on this presumably noble mission, what is the picture at the ground level? I find from my personal interactions that even those at the lowest economic rung, like household help, rickshaw pullers, and street vendors do not want to send their children to such government schools. They pay through their nose for schooling their children in private schools of dubious quality.
Sting operations by TV channels have exposed the astonishingly reprehensible quality of education given in these schools and the extremely poor caliber of teachers hired at high salaries. I know teachers who visit the school only once or twice a month and pay protection money to functionaries in education department.
The billions going down the drain into the pockets of the corrupt could be much better utilized by providing a direct cash transfer to deserving people who could use it to pay the fees of private schools which are seen to be far superior to the government ones.
The hordes of teachers and SMs could be trained as plumbers, electricians and carpenters. There is a real dearth of such professionals in the society.
In case it is not found feasible to dismantle this hoax of government schools, it must be made mandatory for all those whose draw salaries from the central or state government to school their children only in a government school at their place of posting.
Another sector suffering from similar massive corruption is health. Here too it will help to make it mandatory for all government employees and legislators to avail services only at a government hospital in their area. The government instead has chosen to fly its officers and ministers overseas for treatment!!! Will they ever get ashamed of themselves?
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