'Govt experimenting with education'

BHUBANESWAR: The All India Save EducationCommittee (AISEC) has raised concerns over a number of issues and loopholes in the existing education system in the state.
The committee alleged that the government is not paying any heed to problems like huge vacancy ofteaching posts, mismanagement in e-admission process, increasing dropout rate, inadequate supply of text books and so on. The committee has also demanded a uniform category for all teachers, abolishing disparity.
"With 25% and 50% teaching posts lying vacant in Plus II and Plus III colleges respectively, it seems the government is experimenting with the education system. Besides, the abolition of annual examination in elementary education will destroy the very process of teaching and learning and is a ploy to cover up large-scale dropout rates in schools," said B K Nayak, president of AISEC, Orissa.
The committee also pointed out the mismanagement in e-admission process, mentioned in the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report. "By centralizing the admission process the government is not only minting huge amount money from students but is also depriving a number of meritorious students from taking admission in good colleges. It has eroded the autonomy of the institutions, which is not desirable," Nayak said.
The committee criticized the government for commercialization of education in the state by allowing more private institutions in the state and neglecting public institutes. The committee also demanded that all private universities operating in the state should be subjected to audit by CAG.
"The government is misguiding the general public and it is very important to create awareness among people about wrong policies of the government. So the AISEC has decided to hold a state-level education conclave on September 25 at the state capital," said Rabindra Burma, secretary of the committee