Rumble in the Desert

There are two versions to this story. One tells the tale of phenomenal success at the primary education level. The other a story of strikes,...

There are two versions to this story. One tells the tale of phenomenal success at the primary education level. The other a story of strikes, dissatisfaction and bad news for the Ashok Gehlot government as it gears up for assembly elections later in the year.

Three years after the concept of the Rajiv Gandhi Pathshalas was evolved and implemented in Rajasthan, unhappy teachers and an adamant administration have punctuated the progress of what almost everyone admits was a 8216;8216;brilliant idea8217;8217; of taking schools to children.

Sitting in a pokey room near the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur, Anju Verma tries to catch her young students8217; attention. Verma8217;s school is new on the block and everywhere you look there are signs of success. But in the older schools, three years down the line, there are a few rumblings in the desert that some say may threaten this 8216;8216;success story8217;8217;.

Thousands of teachers in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Sirohi and Nagaur district are on strike, demanding more 8212; more money, more security and more guarantee that they will eventually be absorbed into the mainstream.

For almost two months now, thousands of teachers teaching in these village schools haven8217;t unlocked their classrooms and taught children. More than 60 per cent of the schools in these districts have been closed and the future of these schools is uncertain.

8216;8216;It is the children who are suffering,8217;8217; says Mahender Dautia, President of the Barmer Teacher8217;s Association. 8216;8216;Most of the 2100 schools in Barmer are closed and will be till our demands are met.8217;8217;

Their first demand is for more money. At present, a Rajiv Gandhi school teacher gets Rs 1,200 per month. They want as much as regular government primary school teachers get 8212; a minimum of Rs 4,500.

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8216;8216;We do as much work as government school teachers. So why the discrimination,8217;8217; questions striking teacher Ghamandara Karvasara, who hasn8217;t opened his school in Kavas village since January 13. Further, there have been reports that a tired district administration has threatened to close down all the Rajiv Gandhi schools n the area. All such reports have been firmly denied by officials who add that alternate arrangements have been made for children.

In his airy office, state education elementary and higher secretary Vinod Zutshi brushes aside all talk of the striking teachers, rumours of schools closing down and unrest among the staff, Zutshi insists that everything is just fine.

8216;8216;Minor problem8217;8217; is how he describes the teachers8217; strike in five districts with the highest density of these schools. Looking at the figures, many would agree with Zutshi. At present, there are 21453 Rajiv Gandhi Pathshalas running in the state, employing about 24,000 teachers and educating estimated 11.5 lakh children.

The literacy figures of the state are an indication of how successful such programmes have been. Between 1991 and 2001 the state registered a 23.9 per cent growth in literacy levels. But dissent in the Rajiv Gandhi schools is now threatening this success.