HYDERABAD: Even as the Telangana government’s decision to introduce English medium has translated into better enrolment in Government schools last year, the Annual Status of Education Report, 2016 found.
While the School Education department is happy that the enrolment of students went up in 4,872 schools in districts like Karimnagar, Ranga Reddy and Nizamabad due to introduction of English medium, it admitted that the ability of students in government schools to read, do mathematics or understand English was disappointing particularly at the primary school level.
Sources said that apart from English medium factor, the enrolment also improved in high schools due to availability of subject-wise teachers. Wherever hygiene, facilities and student to teacher ratio improved, such schools attracted more students. “That explains why 26.5 % of schools in the State had only 60 or less percentage of enrolment. But efforts are on to improve teacher-student ratio as it will also improve better monitoring and assessment of students,” official sources said.
More teachers needed
Giving out reasons for poor performance of the students, they pointed out that One main reason was lack of serious assessment of students from Class I to V. Quite a few students would not even know English alphabet in Class VI. But with only one teacher available in primary school and handling 24 classes, where is the scope for the teacher to pay individual attention or monitor the students. The students are assessed only from Class VI onwards.
The Right To Education Act norms stipulate teacher student ratio of 1:30, the Department sources feel at least one teacher per class norm can be followed through rationalisation of schools and students. “It makes sense to provide one good government school with adequate number of teachers, facilities and provide transport facility for students in the vicinity rather than opening more schools with no teachers or amenities,” Department sources say.
The students of government schools mostly hail from poorer and weaker sections. With no individual assessment in the schools nor help from the family, no wonder they lag behind in reading, maths and comprehension, sources added.
