The Hindu : Call for changes in single teacher schools

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Call for changes in single teacher schools

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JAN. 22. The Union Secretary of Human Resources Development, S.C. Tripathi, has expressed displeasure over the large number of single teacher schools in the State and asked the Government to ensure that these schools have at least two teachers.

Addressing a meeting of officials of the School Education Department and non-governmental organisations working in the education segment here on Wednesday, he said about 5,000

schools in districts like Adilabad, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam had been functioning with a

single teacher. "You should increase the number to two," he advised the Government and said: "We have to see what kind of difficulties are being faced by the Government in this regard." He pointed out that the neighbouring Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states fared better.

Mr. Tripathi felt that there was a gap in the sanctions and the targets achieved. He said the

State lagged behind on the construction front too and asked officials to expedite the

process. He, however, promised sanction of teachers, schools and rooms. Referring to the

6.4 lakh out-of-school children, he said the State needed to verify the figure as there were apprehensions that many were not included in the list.

The Principal Secretary, School Education, I.V. Subba Rao, said five districts in the State, including Hyderabad and Kurnool, accounted for 62 per cent of the total out-of-school

children. Mahaboobnagar had the dubious distinction of having 1.35 lakh children out of

the school, while the State capital had 49,360.

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