A Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report has revealed underutilisation of Central funds by between 30% and 55% by the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan Samiti Karnataka (RMSASK) from 2013-14 to 2017-18.
The scheme’s intervention was mainly focussed on upgrading schools as 56% of the allocation was spent on it, leading to the neglect of other components such as computer-aided education and procurement of laboratory items and furniture.
Pointing out that 4,361 habitations did not have access to secondary education at the end of March 2018, the CAG report has recommended that the State undertake comprehensive school-mapping to provide access to schooling in uncovered habitations.
Because of delay in execution of civil works, out of 2,396 schools taken up for upgrade from 2009-10 to 2017-18, only 1,740 were upgraded, with 140 works still in progress. According to the CAG report, as of March 2018, the RMSASK had not taken up any repairs although 1,367 schools needed major repairs and 1,494 needed minor ones. While the classroom-student ratio of government schools was well within the prescribed ratio of 1:40, school-wise analysis showed that out of 4,677 government schools, 2,721 had a ratio ranging between 1:41 and 1:69.
The pupil-teacher ratio of the State was well within the prescribed ratio of 30:1 However, in 874 schools, it was more than 30:1 as there was no monitoring in deployment of teachers at the school level. As many as 1,633 out of the 15,666 schools were found without teachers for core subjects — maths (642), science (491), and social science (500).
In 342 schools of eight districts that were surveyed, 22 lacked sufficient classrooms, 65 did not have both science as well as computer laboratories, and 99 did not have library facilities. Although infrastructure and teaching facilities were not in accordance with the norms prescribed by the State in 73 out of 252 aided and unaided schools, their recognitions were renewed, the report found.
Accommodating students
Following the State government’s direction to the Social Welfare Department in 2013 to accommodate all students from Schedule Caste communities who have sought admission in hostels, irrespective of the sanctioned strength, the number of students accommodated in most hostels exceeds the capacity.
Scrutiny of 190 SC hostels in 16 taluks showed that 74 hostels had accommodated students beyond their capacity. While the crowding was by more than 100% in 10 hostels, 85 hostels were found to be underutilised.
