New Delhi: Education ministers of Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, which are facing shortage of
funds and teachers for implementing Right to Education Act,
will meet HRD Minister Kapil Sibal here tomorrow to find
solution to the problem.
These ministers will meet Sibal separately and discuss
the problems faced by the states to implement the new law
which makes education a fundamental right of every child in
the country.
Though the law has been made effective from April one,
the states are facing problems in view of shortage of
teachers. The chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have
expressed inability to fund the implementation of the Act.
West Bengal has also raised funds problem.
According to Reports on Demand and Supply Estimates of
School Teachers and Teacher Educators (2007-08 to 2016-17) for
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, prepared by the National Council for
Teacher Education (NCTE), both the states portray a dismal
picture of school education.
Uttar Pradesh has 1,94,887 habitations out of which
38,543 are without primary schools or Education Guarantee
Scheme (EGS) centre. About 7,457 habitations are eligible for
primary schools as per norms.
The number of out of school children is 3.02 lakh, the
report said quoting the state Household Survey. The literacy
rate is 56 per cent against the national average of 65 per
cent. Five per cent of children do not enrol into primary
schools in the state.
There were 6,10,189 teachers positions in 1,97,143 lower
primary and upper primary schools in 2006-07 in the state.
They include 4,31,546 positions at lower primary and 1,78,643
at upper primary stages.
The additional demand for lower primary teachers was
estimated to be 22,256 in 2007-08. This demand would go up to
25,384 in 2011-12, the report said.
The scenario is worse in Bihar where the literacy rate in
is 47.53 per cent. There are 37,408 primary, 13,316 upper
primary and 2,918 secondary and 660 senior secondary schools
in 2006-07.
The primary schools have, infact, witnessed a negative
growth over a period of five years from 2002-03. There were
40,511 primary schools in the state which came down to 37,408
in 2006-07.
The secondary and senior secondary schools have witnessed
similar negative growth rate, the report said.
The projected additional demand for teachers at lower
primary level was estimated to be 4,731 in 2007-08 and it
would go upto 8,282 in 2011-12, the report said.
At upper primary stage, the projected demand for teachers
was estimated to be 7,039 in 2007-08 and it may go upto 7116
in 2011-12. The situation is somewhat similar in West Bengal.
PTI
