Muktsar fails to bring back dropouts to school; Despite spending Rs 3.48 cr annually, only 87 of total 437 join schools

Muktsar fails to bring back dropouts to school

Despite spending Rs 3.48 cr annually, only 87 of total 437 join schools

Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, August 12

Despite the fact that the state government is every year paying Rs 3.48 crore to 601 education volunteers in Muktsar district, who have been given the task to educate school dropouts, the purpose is still not achieved.

For instance, the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) and Special Training (STR) volunteers have brought just 87 of total 437 school dropouts (7-14 years) identified in Muktsar district to the mainstream of schooling this academic session.

A senior official in the district education office said the state government had not assigned teaching job to these volunteers and they were told to bring dropout children to the mainstream of schooling. “Due to political pressure, these volunteers have been given their preference postings. Thus the purpose is not being achieved. There are some government schools where these volunteers are not even required, but posted without any reason,” said the official.

Jaspal Monga, deputy District Education Officer, Muktsar, said, “Education volunteers have been given the task to bring dropout children to schools. As per records, 350 schoolchildren are yet to be brought to the mainstream of schooling in the district. The seniors are well aware of the facts as we have sent the report to them.” Another senior official said the salary of these education volunteers was coming direct from the state government and not under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) or any other scheme. “These volunteers are academically not qualified for teaching jobs as they have not cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test,” he added.

On the other hand, an EGS volunteer said they were doing the same duty as of the teachers. They alleged that the Education Department was exploiting them and not showing their work in records.

“There are some schools, which are being run by volunteers only as not even a single teacher is deployed there. The department doesn’t want to show us working like teachers because they fear that we will claim permanent job and salary hike,” he added.

Another education volunteer said, “We are unable to bring all dropout children to schools because the department is getting other works done from us as well.”

Repeated attempts to contact Pritpal Singh and Kulwant Kumari, who spearheaded the movement of EGS volunteers in the past, proved futile.

Courtesy: The Tribune