Lack of qualified teachers, proper infrastructure despite increased allocation: Study

The analysis also brought to the fore that the states did not fully utilise their budgets to change the composition of expenditure.

Lack of qualified teachers, proper infra despite increased allocation: Study

Shortage of qualified teachers and proper infrastructure continue to be major challenges. (Representational Image)

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS have a shortage of over five lakh teachers and 14 per cent of government secondary schools do not have the prescribed minimum of six teachers, states a recent study that was conducted in six states including Maharashtra.

The study, ‘Budgeting for School Education: What has Changed and What Has Not’, also showed that notwithstanding increased budgetary allocations for school education in many states, a shortage of qualified teachers and proper infrastructure continue to be major challenges.

Conducted by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability (CBGA) and CRY (Child Rights and You), the study maps school education in six states: Maharashtra, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. It takes into account the Detailed Demands for Grants of state budgets for 2014-15 to 2017-18.

The analysis also brought to the fore that the states did not fully utilise their budgets to change the composition of expenditure.

According to the study, in 2017-18, Tamil Nadu spent Rs 23,464, followed by Maharashtra with Rs 21,100 and Chhattisgarh with Rs 20, 320. Further, it shows that teachers’ salary, a significant chunk of the budget, varied from 60 per cent (in Chhattisgarh) to 82 per cent (in Maharashtra).

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