Four teachers for eight classes; and the doctor is missing!
On the second day of my trip, we drove into Dhar village to figure out the state of school education and health-care.
Our first stop was the government school where 170 kids are enrolled in classes 1 through 8. So far, so good.
But, because, there are only 4 teachers, they run combined sessions cutting across different classes. Consequently, the prescribed syllabus is not followed. Nor are there any labs or such facilities.
The kids also run small errands for the school because there is no peon or non-teaching staff.
In such an environment, no surprises that most kids drop out of school quickly. Less than 25 kids have made it past Class 8 over the past few years. And almost everyone drops out after Class 10, in order to take up odd jobs in nearby Udaipur city.If this peek into the state of the country’s school education system wasn’t depressing enough, our next stop made it worse. Dhar Panchayat( comprising Dhar village, plus three other villages) has one Ayurvedic & Allopathic health centre each, as well as provision for a Village Nurse-cum-Midwife(VNM).
As we approached the Ayurvedic health centre, perched on a small hillock, it seemed to exude a welcoming calm. The reason became clear when we climbed the stairs, and went inside. The peon showed us around the 3-room structure., but both the doctor and the compounder were missing.
Although the peon gamely defended their absence, and offered excuses, it was clear that this was no aberration. Lucrative private practice in the city was any day preferable to a journey into this village.
The same story was repeated at the nearby centre where the VNM is supposed to report for duty. Here, it was one step better; the centre was simply locked!
When the Finance Minister presents his annual budget, analysts bemoan the fact that spends on healthcare are low. But, for starters, if the allocated money itself is put to good use, that would bring a great deal of relief.
