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Hyderabad Collector Natarajan Gulzar lists the initiatives taken by him to improve the standard in government schools, in

a chat with J.S. IFTHEKHAR

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Natarajan Gulzar

How do you propose to improve the government schools?

We plan to launch a vigorous three month campaign in 624 primary schools from January 19 to improve the education skills of the students. The idea is no child should leave the primary school without attaining the minimum third standard competency especially in languages and mathematics.

What are the present standards?

They are very poor. Many of the fifth standard children do not have even second standard competency.

How will you go about improving the skills?

Well, to start with, training is being given to 300 teachers, headmasters, deputy educational officers and Mandal resource persons. Further training will be imparted at school complex level on December 30, 31 and January 1. Thereafter, a baseline test will be conducted for all primary school children and basing on the feedback the improvement program will be taken up. After the program ends in March, another test will be conducted in the first week of April to analyse the results.

What about the model schools proposed?

Yes, a circular was issued two days ago for development of 32 schools, two per each Mandal, as model schools.

In what aspects the schools will be developed?

In every aspect. Since all schools can’t be developed at a time, 32 are chosen in the first phase. Needs and deficiencies in the schools are already identified and they will be addressed first.

What are the immediate requirements?

Drinking water facility, proper accommodation, toilets, particularly for girl children and library. Some of the schools don’t have doors and windows.

After attending these problems, we will concentrate on academics. Basing on the performance next year some more schools will be developed as model schools.

Poor accommodation plagues government schools. How will you tackle this?

A massive construction program is already on. We are going to create space for 923 additional class rooms in 142 different locations.

The project is being executed at a cost of Rs. 30 crore under the Rajiv Vidya Mission and it is under different stages of completion. The idea is to reduce dependency on rented buildings.

What about hospitals?

A task force is constituted to monitor the presence of doctors and nurses in the Urban Health Posts.

Presently most of them come late and go early. We will make surprise visits and take action against the guilty.

How will you improve the standard of government hospitals on a par with corporate sector?

There are some problems. First we want to rationalise the posting of doctors but a Government Order in this regard is stuck up.

At present some of the UHPs have no doctors while some are overstaffed.