JOIN USThe student-teacher ratio in government schools was better compared to that in private schools, said G Kumar Naik, Secretary to the Department of Primary and Secondary Education, on Monday.
The figure was almost 1:26 against the prescribed 1:30 in government schools. The ratio in private schools is expected to get better in the next two years, he said.
Naik was speaking to reporters, after taking part in a workshop on ‘Training Needs Analysis’ for school teachers, organised by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan here. The workshop was held in co-ordination with the Karnataka Knowledge Commission and Azim Premji Foundation, with an aim to upgrade the teachers’ skills.
Naik said the government was planning an orientation camp for teachers in private schools also to cope with the challenge of dealing with a heterogeneous mix of students, now that the 25 per cent reservation for weaker sections would be in place.
Earlier, in his address at the workshop, Naik said teachers’ training was as important as upgrading the syllabus. Naik said the BEd syllabus also needed to be upgraded and it was expected to be redesigned within two years. The BEd syllabus needs review at least once in five years, Naik said.
RTE quota to match govt aid
The greatest challenge for the government right now is to effectively implement the 25 per cent reservation, Naik told reporters. Apart from this, the government also has the task of getting the seat matrix right in government-aided schools. As per the notification issued by the government recently, the aided schools have to reserve seats for students from weaker sections matching with the percentage of grant-in-aid.
For instance, if the expenditure incurred by the school is Rs 100 and the government grant is Rs 70, then the school has to reserve 70 per cent of the seats under RTE. This figure will vary depending on the grant, but it cannot be less than 25 per cent of the seats.