New Delhi: The first-ever survey, conducted in residential schools for tribal children in five states, has revealed a grim picture with one toilet available for over 40 children on average, dilapidated boundary walls, shortage of benches and chairs, absence of computer labs or libraries and no sports or basic emergency medical facilities in several schools.
The survey, commissioned by the ministry of tribal affairs through National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), was conducted to gauge gaps in infrastructure facilities, safety and security, level of basic and recreational facilities and availability of teaching and non-teaching staff in tribal schools. This dipstick survey was initiated in 300 of over 10,000 ashram schools for tribal students in five tribal-dominated states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.
All schools were gauged on six broad parameters and rated on a scale of 0 (zero) to 2. While a majority of schools had all infrastructure and basic facilities like drinking water, electricity and school furniture, the condition was not up to the mark. Of the five states, ashram schools of Odisha and Chhattisgarh fared better than other states. Schools in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were found poorer in basic facilities.
Seventy ashram schools were surveyed in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district. Over half of the schools, about 58.6%, had a shortage of benches and chairs for children. There was no clean drinking water for students in 43% of schools surveyed.
About a third of the schools had no boundary wall for security and none of the schools had a computer lab or ICT-enabled classrooms. About 90% did not have a library. One-fourth of the schools were not conducting any health checkups on children.
Even Maharashtra schools fared poorly like Madhya Pradesh ashram schools. About 35 schools in tribal-dominated Palghar district were surveyed. About 57.1% of the schools surveyed had a shortage of furniture for children. About 20% of school buildings were in poor physical condition with visible cracks and leakages. In almost one-third of the surveyed schools, over 40 children shared one toilet.
The tribal affairs ministry had commissioned the survey as it provides funds to the states for infrastructure of ashram schools. At the same time, the ministry planned to earmark funds for residential schools under the new Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.
A ministry official said, "There was a need to gauge the gaps in ashram schools. This is just the beginning of the process. We are formulating a framework so that all schools can have a monitoring mechanism." An online dashboard is being developed for all ashram schools. "The states will know the criteria and how to understand the gaps. This online monitoring mechanism will also have the facility of uploading photographs which will help in filling gaps," said the official quoted above.
In Andhra Pradesh, 60 residential schools in Alluri Sitharamaraju district were surveyed. Almost one fourth of the schools faced a shortage of furniture and clean drinking water. The most common problem found in almost all schools across states was lack of indoor and outdoor sports facilities, emergency medical facilities like provision of a first-aid box, computer labs and ICT-enabled classrooms.
The survey, commissioned by the ministry of tribal affairs through National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), was conducted to gauge gaps in infrastructure facilities, safety and security, level of basic and recreational facilities and availability of teaching and non-teaching staff in tribal schools. This dipstick survey was initiated in 300 of over 10,000 ashram schools for tribal students in five tribal-dominated states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha.
All schools were gauged on six broad parameters and rated on a scale of 0 (zero) to 2. While a majority of schools had all infrastructure and basic facilities like drinking water, electricity and school furniture, the condition was not up to the mark. Of the five states, ashram schools of Odisha and Chhattisgarh fared better than other states. Schools in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were found poorer in basic facilities.
Seventy ashram schools were surveyed in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district. Over half of the schools, about 58.6%, had a shortage of benches and chairs for children. There was no clean drinking water for students in 43% of schools surveyed.
About a third of the schools had no boundary wall for security and none of the schools had a computer lab or ICT-enabled classrooms. About 90% did not have a library. One-fourth of the schools were not conducting any health checkups on children.
Even Maharashtra schools fared poorly like Madhya Pradesh ashram schools. About 35 schools in tribal-dominated Palghar district were surveyed. About 57.1% of the schools surveyed had a shortage of furniture for children. About 20% of school buildings were in poor physical condition with visible cracks and leakages. In almost one-third of the surveyed schools, over 40 children shared one toilet.
The tribal affairs ministry had commissioned the survey as it provides funds to the states for infrastructure of ashram schools. At the same time, the ministry planned to earmark funds for residential schools under the new Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan.
A ministry official said, "There was a need to gauge the gaps in ashram schools. This is just the beginning of the process. We are formulating a framework so that all schools can have a monitoring mechanism." An online dashboard is being developed for all ashram schools. "The states will know the criteria and how to understand the gaps. This online monitoring mechanism will also have the facility of uploading photographs which will help in filling gaps," said the official quoted above.
In Andhra Pradesh, 60 residential schools in Alluri Sitharamaraju district were surveyed. Almost one fourth of the schools faced a shortage of furniture and clean drinking water. The most common problem found in almost all schools across states was lack of indoor and outdoor sports facilities, emergency medical facilities like provision of a first-aid box, computer labs and ICT-enabled classrooms.
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