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Best infrastructure + handsome salary =poor performance, says education secretary

March 14, 2019 04:56 PM

Punjab News Express/Y.S. RANA
CHANDIGARH: Blame the teachers’ union for poor performance by the students of government schools in Chandigarh Mr B.L. Sharma, Secretary Education, Chandigarh said that teachers’ unions were a key reason for the deterioration of education in Chandigarh. In the past poor infrastructure and lack of facilities were blamed for poor performance. The Administration has given the thrust on zipping up infrastructure and facilities in schools to shore up education standards and Chandigarh can boast of best infrastructure and facilities across the country.
He said that though money mattered in education so was the performance. Teachers in Chandigarh are at the top of the list of salary across the country but still they needed higher salaries. According to official data shows that only 15 per cent goes towards capital expenditure, while over 80 per cent goes towards teachers’ salaries leaving little to be spent on infrastructure creation. According to official data, total budgetary allocation for education amounts to Rs 516 cror that includes Rs 417 crore for recurring expenditure and Rs 99 crore for Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan. . Of this, Rs 340 crore goes to pay teachers’ salary and Rs 61 crore foots Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan bill.
Giving out broad contours of infrastructure and facilities the official revealed that 114 government schools have their own buildings and five new schools buildings are under construction. There are 6000 regular and SS teachers having 1.52 lakh students’ strength. Almost all the schools have been automated. With introduction of technology in education the method of bookish-learning has been converted into providing practical solution. The teaching method has been transformed into celluloid solution, ” The education department has taken steps to government schools in ‘Smart schools’ so that students can lock horn with their counterparts in private and convent schools., says Mr Sharma.
Besides all government schools have the provisions of electricity, drinking water and sanitation. Ninty five per cent schools have own play ground while over 90 per cent of the classrooms were in good condition. Three new mini sports complex in Sector 8, 19, and 21 and five sports complex with world class sports complex in Sector 34, 38, 50, 56 and Manimajra on the verge of completion.
Education cannot be improved with doze of infrastructure and technology until the authority confronted the deadly consequences of the power that teachers’ unions wielded in education sector and also through unions exerted pressure and influenced the officials for their vested interests. Sources in the department also revealed that the department was in a process to bring drastic changes in other fields to improve quality education.
The teachers’ unions through the straitjacket of work rules that their service rules impose inexorably subverted that fundamental basic unit of education. It was also in the notice of the department that teachers were not only involved in union activities day in and day out but also engaged themselves in some other ‘professions, ’ stated the official.
Somebody, somewhere has to sit up think of ways that curb the mushrooming of unions in education. If it is not done it may develop into a serious problem, warns Mr Sharma.

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