NREGA Survey Flags Poor Teaching, Infra in Rural Schools in Latehar Dist

The NREGA Sahayta Kendra has released a report based on a survey of 40 single-teacher schools (STSs) in the Manika Block of Latehar, which highlighted weaknesses of primary school education in remote areas of the state.

- Raj Kumar

RANCHI:

The NREGA Sahayta Kendra is a grassroots organisation based in Manika, dedicated to strengthening the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). It serves as a vital link between citizens and the administration, working to resolve issues related to MGNREGA and other essential public services. The Kendra also conducts field surveys and provides support to vulnerable tribal communities in the region, ensuring their access to rights and entitlements.

"STSs in Manika have as many as 59 pupils on average. About 84% of the pupils in these STSs belong to SC or ST communities. Most of the teachers in STSs are contract teachers. A large majority (78%) of teachers are above 40 years of age. Only 15% of the teachers are women. Teachers are often diverted by record-keeping and other non-teaching duties, including the generation of APAAR numbers for children. In 87.5% of the schools, there was no active teaching. Only 17.5% of the schools had a functional toilet. Midday meals are of poor quality, e.g., eggs are not served as prescribed," the report, a copy of which is with HT, read.