Attendance of students in Jharkhand schools fell to 58 percent in primary and 68 percent in primary, according to the report.
New Delhi ,UPDATED: 21 Dec 2022 10:53 IST
JPEC is an autonomous organization established by the Jharkhand government for the universalization of primary education.
Courtesy of Press Trust of India: After the pandemic, student attendance in Jharkhand schools dropped to 58 percent in the upper primary and 68 percent in the primary, according to a report by economist Jean Dreze. The report, based on a survey of 138 schools in 16 districts of the state, indicated that 53 percent of teachers admitted that students had forgotten how to read and write after schools reopened after the pandemic.
“The survey showed that the education department neglected poor and tribal children. Schools were closed for two years but nothing was done for them. At that time online education was just a joke as 87 percent of students in government schools had no access to phones,” said Mr. Dreze.
Jharkhand Education Project Council (JPEC) director Kiran Kumari Pasi told PTI that students’ learning abilities and school attendance have gone down after the pandemic.
“I don’t want to comment on the survey because I haven’t seen it. But the fact is that students’ ability to learn and school attendance has declined after the pandemic. We have taken several initiatives, from promoting sports to recreational activities, to returning students to school. The situation is improving now,” he said. .
WHAT IS JPEC?
JPEC is an autonomous organization established by the Jharkhand government for the universalization of primary education. While classes 1 and 5 make up the primary school level, classes 6 and 8 make up the primary school level.
Poll, ‘Gloom in the classroom: schooling crisis in Jharkhand’ It also found a severe shortage of teachers led by Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (Jharkhand).
WHAT DID THE SURVEY REVEAL?
Only 20% of primary schools and 50% of primary schools have a teacher-pupil ratio below 30, as stipulated by the Right to Education Act (RTE), reports Belgian economist and researcher Paran. stated Amitava.
Of the 138 schools surveyed for the report, 20 percent had only one teacher, he said. At 55 percent, para-teachers made up the majority of primary teachers in these schools. In the higher primary education level, it was 37 percent, he added. About 40 percent of primary schools surveyed were led by para-teachers.
“Para-teachers have lower qualifications and less training than regular teachers, and it is doubtful that they are more responsible,” said Mr. Dreze, adding that there has been no teacher recruitment in the state for the past six years.
According to the report, none of the schools surveyed had functional toilets, electricity or water supply. About 66% of primary schools had no boundary wall, 64% had no playground and 37% had no library books. The majority of teachers said that the school did not have enough money for midday meals, he mentioned.