(Bihar Times): While only 8 to 10 children attend classes every day in T K Ghosh Academy, a government school with 28 teachers, situated just in front of Patna College in the heart of the state capital, according to Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (Rural) the number of out of school children in the age group of six to 14 in the state has gone done by half in just one year––from 24 lakh to 12 lakh.

Incidentally the Report, which was released by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, in Delhi on January 16 also said that the percentage of children from out of school has fallen from 12.8 in 2006 to 6.5 2007. If the Report is to be believed children of Bihar are now faring better even in English and Arithmetic when compared with their counterparts in several other states. In fact they are better than the national average.

pix:Manish Sinha

There is no doubt that children from Bihar often fare better in subjects like Arithmetic and even English. What is strange is the manner in which the Report is being twisted to claim that this ‘achievement’ was possible just because of the steps initiated by the human resources development department of Bihar in just one year.

The principal secretary, human resources development department, government of Bihar, Anjani Kumar Singh, while talking to a section of Press went on to claim that this was possible because of the appointment of two lakh teachers and construction of 60,000 school buildings. He also said that a large number of rural students in Bihar are leaving the private schools to join the government-run schools. But he ignored the other aspects related to it.

On the other hand the truth is that only one lakh teachers under centrally aided Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have so far been appointed and not two lakhs as the state government is claiming. Even this appointments have been made just seven to eight months back and many of the teachers are yet to get adjusted to the new job. Thus these new lots have least to contribute to the success in this field.

Besides, the construction of 60,000 school buildings have not been completed, thus, it would not be appropriate to attribute the so-called success to this factor too.

No doubt the number of school-going students have gradually been rising, but other factors too are involved in it. For example the central government’s mid-day meal scheme in the rural areas have made much bigger contribution than the appointment of teachers. Even Pratham’s Report acknowledges that the number of students in schools with mid-day meal being served had gone up astronomically––from 38.4% in the year 2005 to 62.7% in 2007.
To ignore this aspect and just give credit to the newly appointed teachers for this success would be a gross injustice as most of these teachers do not go to school even once a week. These newly appointed teachers get something around Rs 5000 or so per month––that is one-third of the permanent teachers––and are even less efficient, talented and prompt in their duty.
Besides, there is nothing much to celebrate such achievements, which is more temporary in nature and are for academic record. It needs to be mentioned that a few years back Madhepura achieved cent per cent literacy and Kishanganj won a national award in this field. The fact is that people know what the ground reality is in these two districts.

At the same time it needs to be understood that there is scope of improvement only in states which lags behind and not in those which are already ahead. After all the Report said that states like Rajasthan, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are the front-runners in showing improvement. They all are least literate states.

In Rajasthan, for example, the figure of children out of school came down from 10.8 per cent in 2006 to 6.5 percent by the end of 2007.

The unanswered question  is: Why just 8 to 10 children attend T K Ghosh Academy against the strength of 70-80? The possible answer is that there is no mid-day meal scheme in this urban school, which has no primary section. Besides, there is no girls here. Boys are not entitled to get school dress free of cost.

This particular school has produced many great personality, including a President (Dr Rajendra Prasad). After all till mid-2007 the number of teachers in this school was eight and now it is 28. Though 20 more teachers joined the school seven months back the number of students never increased––in fact decreased.

More than the NGOs like Pratham it is the government to adopt a more holistic approach rather than go by just piecemeal measures and make tall claims.