The Monday Interview: Goal is to improve results and provide quality education

The results have improved from last year, but it is still not satisfactory. Panchkula is still ranked from the bottom. This is not satisfactory at all.

What are the reasons that lead to poor pass percentage of students year after year?

We need to do a step-by-step analysis to determine the factors. Whether it is unavailability of teachers or lack of proper teaching. There were some schools with sufficient facilities and adequate number of teachers, yet their results were not good. We need to do consider all these cases from all angles. Then only we will be able to comment on areas where we lacked.

Principals of some government schools have pointed out that the results suffered primarily because of inadequate teachers and vacant posts.

It is an important area that needs to be looked into. Availability of teachers does affect students’ studies. But we also need to understand that there were some schools where sufficient number of teachers were available, still students got poor results. We need to answer how did that happen? Was there lack of interest on the part of the teachers? Or learning level of children was low?

According to the data of last two years, a number of students in both classes X and XII have compartments in English? How will the government schools bridge this language gap of medium of instruction?

Yes, students do have problems in understanding of the subject and graduating from Hindi medium in Class X to English medium in Class XI. There are some teachers also who face difficulty in teaching children and do not take lectures. I have decided to hold meetings with subject teachers and discuss their problem areas and bring a solution.

After last year’s results, the education department had asserted that most of these children come from economically weaker sections and work at home, therefore do not focus on studies and get compartments. But district toppers this year belie that claim.

Even if a child has to work at home, it cannot be held against him for bad results. Many children work at home. May be teachers think that such children do not get a conducive environment for studies at home or their parents are illiterate, so they do not study at home. In this case, I suggest that please do not leave everything on children and ask them to complete their homework in classes. School mein bhi homework ho sakta hai.(Homework can be done in schools also). If family situation compels a child to work at home, then we should understand and respect that. There should be ample interaction with children and teachers should evolve their teaching methods accordingly. Teachers can take the initiative and help such students to complete the work in school itself by taking extra classes.

Some teachers have complained that they are overburdened with extra-administrative work and other government programmes, apart from teaching, owing to which class room-teaching is affected.

It is our duty to participate and co-operate in programmes or activities of the Haryana government. There are certain duties that we are required to do and ultimately it is for the benefit of the children or for society at large. If teachers have raised this issue, then we will look into it. If such work is avoidable and can be performed by other departments, then we can bring it to the notice of the higher department. We can also suggest that teachers be given work near the school so that not much time is wasted in traveling to other areas. But, if it is not avoidable, then teachers should try to do the work after school-hours and not during class-time.

A visit to some of these schools revealed that they do not have proper libraries or adequately-equipped practical laboratories.

After I joined as DEO two months ago, I visited some schools and checked the facilities like the libraries and the number of books issued. I had also inquired students if they get books from the libraries to verify the figures given by the employees. I had directed all schools to ensure that they have well-functional libraries. I have also asked the teachers to ensure maximum use of laboratories and maintain records of practicals done there. The focus should be on learning by doing. If students do practicals themselves, they will understand more. There is lack of motivation from teachers sometimes. Otherwise, there is no lesson in science that cannot be taught in laboratories.

Does proximity to Chandigarh, where government schools have better results compared to Panchkula, has any affect on the district’s results?

May be. Some students leave our schools and get admission in Chandigarh. But Panchkula also has good schools, including Sarthak Government School, Sector 12 A, and government model schools, where parents queue up to seek admissions for their wards. The students also perform well and there is competition for seats.

What action is being taken following the poor results?

A strategy needs to be made determining the factors that affected the results and how we can improve upon them. We will visit all government schools in the four blocks and examine reasons that led to such low pass percentage and take remedial actions accordingly. The goal is to ensure improvement of results and provide quality education to children. We not only want our students to pass exams, but also gain quality education. A large number of students have passed the exams with third division this year. Both the quantity and quality need to be maintained, then only we will achieve success. Teachers also need to be motivated.

The new academic session has begun. What is your target for next year?

First, we need to do an analysis and only then we will set a target. We do not want to set a high target merely to show. We will start from Ground Zero by visiting the schools and meeting the students. I want that next year when the results are declared, our district should be ranked from the top and not from the bottom.