Assam education a black hole of government funds

U-DISE study paints grim picture of ramshackle infrastructure under all heads in government schools

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Oct 19: Proper infrastructure has always been a lacu in the State's education sector. But, statistics thrown up by a recent study are shocking, to say the least. It is a grim reminder that the education sector has long been a black hole gobbling up public money, leaving lakhs of students perennially deprived.

Lack of toilets, libraries, power supply and playfields continues to dog the State's primary as well as secondary education schools.

A study carried out by the Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) in the year 2014-15, has painted a grim picture of the State schools, as in all the categories, the figures were much below the tiol averages.

Only around 19.39 per cent (tiol average 56.78) of government schools in the State have power supply. Some 56.36 per cent (tiol average 80.2) schools have libraries, and only 6.45 per cent of the libraries have librarians.

 There is a provision for regular medical check-up of students, but in Assam, only 30.04 per cent schools follow it against the tiol average of 65.87 per cent.

83.36 per cent schools have drinking water supply (tiol average 96.12 per cent), while only 8.85 per cent schools have computers (tiol average 24.08 per cent).

Only around 18.4 per cent schools have a separate room for the headmaster (tiol average 54.21 per cent), and 27.62 per cent schools are going without a boundary wall, posing huge risks to students.

54.8 per cent schools have toilets for boys (tiol average 88.62 per cent) while around 26 per cent schools still do not have a separate toilet for girls.

The figures thrown up in the survey are bound to raise questions about the utilization of funds in the education sector. Crores of rupees are spent every year by the State's Education and PHE departments in developing the infrastructure of government schools. Launched in 2001 as a flagship programme, the Sarba Shiksha Abhiyan also provides funds to develop infrastructure and provide facilities for elementary education in schools. But the questions remain --- if at all these funds are being spent under proper headings, why are these not materializing in concrete form on ground? If not, where are all these funds disappearing year after year?