JOIN USShortage of teachers in DK, Udupi a challenge to RTE Act
A report prepared, based on a study on the challenges faced by teachers in the implementation of Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, has revealed that teachers in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district strongly feel that there is a shortage of number of teachers in schools, over burdening them with work.
The study was jointly conducted by Shikshana Sampanmula Kendragala Okkuta, Dakshina Kannada, Zilla Shikshana Sampanmula Kendra, Udupi and Padi-Valored, as a part of Shikshaka - Shikshana Sapthaha. They survey was carried out from September 20 to 28, wherein a team of volunteers consulted 160 teachers from 160 schools in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
About 20 school teachers were surveyed from each taluk, of which 16 were from government higher primary school, two from aided and two from unaided schools.
Briefing the study result at Mangalore Block Education Office on Saturday, Padi-Valored Director Renny D’Souza said the study basically intended to find out the basic facilities available in schools for the effective implementation of RTE, opinion of teachers on providing education without corporal punishment, understanding the problems faced by teachers and need for amending the policies in RTE implementation.
According to the report, 73.12 per cent of teachers believe that there is lack of subject-wise teachers in schools, 73.75 per cent of them have said that there is lack of scientific laboratories, 46 per cent of them have said that the schools lack compound walls and 26.87 per cent of them have pointed at the poor students - teachers ratio.
The above factors are termed as basic facilities which all the schools were supposed to fulfill before March 31, 2013 under the RTE Act.
Corporal punishment
“The report also throws light on the opinion of teachers towards the role of corporal punishment in education. About 71.25 per cent teachers believe that good education could be provided without imposing punishment on children, while 29.75 per cent teachers believe otherwise.
The figure has to be taken into account on a serious note, for there is a danger of 29 per cent of teachers believe in imposing punishment to children, which is violation of RTE Act,” Renny D’Souza said.
Further, he said that a major 71.75 per cent of teachers have agreed that counsellors have not been appointed in schools to counsel students. Hence, the government has to take steps to appoint counsellors in at least cluster level, if not in schools, to guide teachers as well as students. Yet another major portion of 71.25 per cent of teachers have given an opinion that there is scope for improvement in implementation of Nali-Kali.
Govt schools a way better
Speaking about the implementation of the RTE in schools, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Assistant Project Director S Shivaprakash claimed that DK leads in the effective implementation of the Act. On the vacant teachers posts, he said the government has begun the process of recruiting guest teachers in the schools and the process will be completed when the schools are re-opened after mid-term holidays. The government will also issue notification soon on appointing 10,500 permanent teachers for 20,000 vacant posts and it intends to fill all the vacant posts in next five years,” he clarified.
He expressed concern over the private schools not implementing RTE effectively. The government schools are far better when compared to the so called ‘prestigious schools’ who burden children with excess books, corporal punishment and dirty toilets.
However, he assured that the department would address some of the issues mentioned in the report.