Jammu, July 25: Eleven teachers for 20 students in a single school depicts the real picture of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) – the Government of India’s flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner – in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Well-informed sources said that a recent  ‘survey’ conducted by Planning and Development Department of ‘sample’ SSA schools falling in Drass and Kargil zones has exposed the claims of the state education department, about its great success across the state.
The survey, they said, was conducted following a report on Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Kashmir Valley between 2002-2007 submitted by the Regional Joint Director, Kashmir, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Jammu and Kashmir.
The survey was conducted in 20 selected zones of Kashmir Valley.
The basic purpose of carrying out the survey in the ‘sample’ school was to evaluate impact of SSA in the state education sector, sources claimed adding, “A detail examination of the impact upon the functioning of the sample schools on account of the allocation of funds under SSA during the period 2002-07 was carried out”.
The report submitted to the Planning Department revealed that the schools evaluated during the inspection projected a shabby picture of the scheme, which has failed to record any increase in intake of students on roll, which is partly also due to up-gradation and creation of new schools in the surrounding villages.
“There is no doubt that SSA has been very successful in increasing the number of schools, classrooms and teachers in the state education system but the report has depicted that it has failed to expand the state education system in the rural areas,” sources said.
They said that in one of the schools surveyed during the tour, the number of teachers was found disproportionaly higher as against the number normally required keeping in view the number of students on roll in each school.
“In Government Boys Middle School, Drass for a total number of 20 students as many as 11 teachers are posted,” the report said.
In respect of construction of toilet blocks and provision of safe drinking water, it added, no steps have been taken to create these facilities in the schools. Most of such schools did not have the space where such construction would be made and it has resulted in major inconvenience particularly to female teaching staff and students.
The report also observed that in almost all the schools kitchen sheds have not been constructed and the cooking of mid-day-meals is done in class rooms which is affecting the studies of the students during school hours.
“There has been no construction of additional class rooms in most of the schools inspected as the space available with most of the schools is sufficient to meet their requirements”, the report said adding, “However, Government Girls Middle School, Drass, is functioning within the premises of Higher Secondary School, Drass and is housed in only two rooms, housing about 50 students with classes from 1-7”.
The report said that for about 6 of the 11 schools visited, the maintenance grant has not been utilized and the amount released last year had been drawn and put in bank account by the Head Master concerned.

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