Ara(60 km from Patna): Even as children's enrolment in schools across Bihar has gone up significantly in recent years, the government has come in for flak for the poor quality of teaching.
Much of this criticism is not without justification, as TOI found during a visit to some schools in Bhojpur district the other day.
"Nitish Kumar Bharat ke pradhan mantri hai (Nitish Kumar is India's PM)," said a class IX student of Shri Jain Bala Bishram Balika Uchch Vidyalya, Dhanupra, in Bhojpur district, 60-km from the state capital.
As if this was not enough of a shocker, when this correspondent asked the girl to write the same sentence on the blackboard, she started weeping. After much encouragement, Soni, 15, daughter of a brick-kiln worker, with trembling hands wrote in broken Hindi, "Nitish Kumar Bhrat ke pradhn matri hai."
Soni also did not have any clue about PM Manmohan Singh.
Her classmates also did not know the name of the President of India. Only Mahatma Gandhi was known to most of the students here.
Santosh, a class VII student of Government Middle School, Dharhara, did not know the capital of India. "Bharat ki rajdhani Patna hai," the lad wrote on blackboard with full confidence. Son of a farm labourer, he is a regular to school. Asked how did he get into class VII, Santosh, 14, said: "I passed class VI this year. I have never failed in class."
Even as the students answered questions regarding the CM, PM and the Prez incorrectly, they had no inkling of their ignorance. Many of them hid behind their mates and laughed when others failed to answer questions.
When Gopal, 11, a class V student of Middle School, Dhanupra, was asked the name of his headmaster, he remained mute for five minutes, with his limbs trembling. "I do not know the name of my headmaster," this son of a tractor driver whispered.
TOI asked more than 20 students to write the names of days of the week and months, school's name and such other things. A whopping 80% students wrote them incorrectly.
Teachers blamed it on the government. "We are no longer teachers. We are bookkeepers. We keep accounts of midday meal, distribution of dresses, books, myriad records and even ongoing construction works," said a teacher on the condition of anonymity.
Today, most of the schools have their own buildings. But a teacher said, "We were better without buildings. At noon, without fans, the school becomes a boiling pot. Students flee from school and spend time beneath trees. We cannot do that and have to suffer dehydration very often," said a middle schoolteacher.
Reacting to such an abysmal state of teaching, HRD minister P K Sahi said: "Everything cannot be done at a time. Until recently our main focus was on increasing enrolment; which we have achieved. Now our target is to improve the quality of education. It will take some time."
Recently, CM Nitish Kumar has launched a programme "Samjho, Bujho aur Jano" to improve quality of education in the state, the minister said.
(Names of students have been changed)
Much of this criticism is not without justification, as TOI found during a visit to some schools in Bhojpur district the other day.
"Nitish Kumar Bharat ke pradhan mantri hai (Nitish Kumar is India's PM)," said a class IX student of Shri Jain Bala Bishram Balika Uchch Vidyalya, Dhanupra, in Bhojpur district, 60-km from the state capital.
As if this was not enough of a shocker, when this correspondent asked the girl to write the same sentence on the blackboard, she started weeping. After much encouragement, Soni, 15, daughter of a brick-kiln worker, with trembling hands wrote in broken Hindi, "Nitish Kumar Bhrat ke pradhn matri hai."
Soni also did not have any clue about PM Manmohan Singh.
Her classmates also did not know the name of the President of India. Only Mahatma Gandhi was known to most of the students here.
Santosh, a class VII student of Government Middle School, Dharhara, did not know the capital of India. "Bharat ki rajdhani Patna hai," the lad wrote on blackboard with full confidence. Son of a farm labourer, he is a regular to school. Asked how did he get into class VII, Santosh, 14, said: "I passed class VI this year. I have never failed in class."
Even as the students answered questions regarding the CM, PM and the Prez incorrectly, they had no inkling of their ignorance. Many of them hid behind their mates and laughed when others failed to answer questions.
When Gopal, 11, a class V student of Middle School, Dhanupra, was asked the name of his headmaster, he remained mute for five minutes, with his limbs trembling. "I do not know the name of my headmaster," this son of a tractor driver whispered.
TOI asked more than 20 students to write the names of days of the week and months, school's name and such other things. A whopping 80% students wrote them incorrectly.
Teachers blamed it on the government. "We are no longer teachers. We are bookkeepers. We keep accounts of midday meal, distribution of dresses, books, myriad records and even ongoing construction works," said a teacher on the condition of anonymity.
Today, most of the schools have their own buildings. But a teacher said, "We were better without buildings. At noon, without fans, the school becomes a boiling pot. Students flee from school and spend time beneath trees. We cannot do that and have to suffer dehydration very often," said a middle schoolteacher.
Reacting to such an abysmal state of teaching, HRD minister P K Sahi said: "Everything cannot be done at a time. Until recently our main focus was on increasing enrolment; which we have achieved. Now our target is to improve the quality of education. It will take some time."
Recently, CM Nitish Kumar has launched a programme "Samjho, Bujho aur Jano" to improve quality of education in the state, the minister said.
(Names of students have been changed)
